Canadian rapper Drake has issued his own apology for J. Cole's verse in his track 'Jodeci Freestyle', in which offensive references to autism were made.

In the song, J. Cole raps, "I'm artistic, you ni**as is autistic, retarded". After the lyrics provoked a widely negative response, Cole made a statement about the line and explained that he was "embarrassed" to have written something so ignorant.

Now, Drake has spoken out about that part of the single and wrote a post on his official website that says: "I share responsibility and offer my sincerest apologies for the pain this has caused. Individuals with autism have brilliant and creative minds, and their gifts should not be disparaged or discounted."

J. Cole's initial apology is as follows: "Last week, when I first saw a comment from someone outraged about the lyric, I realized right away that what I said was wrong. I was instantly embarrassed that I would be ignorant enough say something so hurtful. What makes the crime worse is that I should have known better."