GloRilla Is Facing Backlash Over Using The R-Word In An Unreleased Track

GloRilla is facing backlash for using the “R” word in an unreleased song she plated on social media.

On the track, which she played earlier this week, she raps “Me and my b*tch r******d.”

The Shade Room posted a carousel that features GloRilla rapping to the song followed by comments on both sides from fans and critics of the track.

Lizzo famously had to issue an apology after using the word in the lyrics to “GRRRLS” on Instagram. There, she wrote “I never want to promote derogatory language. As a fat Black woman in America, I’ve had many hurtful words used against me so I overstand the power words can have…I’m proud to say there’s a new version of GRRRLS with a lyric change.”

A fan commented in the carousel that GloRilla’s audience isn’t concerned with the sensitivity of the word. If this is true, speculation over whether the rapper would change the lyrics could lead to a resounding no.

The official website for The Special Olympics breaks down the usage of the term and why in their opinion, it is considered offensive. “The R-word is a form of hate speech that stands for “retard,” “retarded,” or other offensive words ending in “-tard.” While “mental retardation” was originally introduced as a medical term in 1961 for people with intellectual disabilities, in the decades since, the R-word has become an insult used all too commonly in everyday language.”

According to the folks at The Special Olympics, the term is often used as a slur. “Those who use the R-word often do so with little regard for the pain it causes people with intellectual disabilities—and the exclusion it perpetuates in our society.”