Blue Ivy Joke Prompts Much Needed Apology

Lil' Kim's rhyme, "Wanna rumble with the bee, huh? Buzzz, throw a hex on your whole family," not only continues to be a shining example of her badassness, but it also makes me wonder if she really is involved in a little bit of sorcery because nearly two decades later, her "All About the Benjamins" rap sounds eerily similar to what's happening with BET after Karrueche Tran insulted Blue Ivy's hair during an episode of 106 & Park. The tasteless joke that referenced Beyoncé's two-year-old daughter sparked outrage on social media, which prompted BET to issue an apology.On Tuesday, Stephen G. Hill, president of music programming and specials for BET Networks, posted a series of tweets taking responsibility for the crude joke Tran read from a teleprompter that mocked Blue Ivy.

"I really did wake up like this…because my parents never comb my hair," Tran said, before laughing and saying "Sorry, Blue. I love you!" Although Tran apologized on Twitter and blamed the quip on the fact that she was simply reading from a script, the incident still did not go over well as many expressed strong opposition to Tran's compliance as well as the network's writers approving such a culturally insensitive statement against a child, no less.

In response to the backlash, Hill tweeted:

This certainly doesn't make up for the damage, but it's a positive sign to see people taking a stance and calling out a huge, influential network on its wrongdoings. BET appears to be taking the issue seriously instead of blowing it off, particularly because 106 & Park's daily show is off the air until Friday. This immediately sparked rumors that the Blue Ivy incident caused the show's hiatus, but aside from cohost Bow Wow denying the rumor, it's not yet clear whether the show's downtime is merely a coincidence or an attempt at further damage control.