August 3, 2004 8:00

THE CONTRITE STUFF!

The dancehall star says sorry to the people he's offended...

BEENIE MAN has issued a statement offering his "sincerest apologies" for the lyrical content in some of his songs.

The dancehall star has been at the centre of controversy for some time and has come under fire from gay rights groups for his homophobic lyrics.

However, in a statement released yesterday (August 2) by Beenie Man's record label Virgin, he said: "It has come to my attention that certain lyrics and recordings I have made in the past may have caused distress and outrage among people whose identities and lifestyles are different from my own.

"While my lyrics are very personal, I do not write them with the intent of purposefully hurting or maligning others, and I offer my sincerest apologies to those who might have been offended, threatened or hurt by my songs. As a human being, I renounce violence towards other human beings in every way, and pledge henceforth to uphold these values as I move forward in my career as an artist."