Rap heavyweight Lil Wayne caused controversy yesterday (June 17) when behind-the-scenes footage from his new music video for 'God Bless Amerika' was released as it shows him stepping on the American flag.

In the short clip, the hitmaker can be seen rapping in front of the famous stars and stripes design before the flag falls behind him and he steps back onto it (pictured left).

Writing on his official Twitter page about his on-camera actions, Weezy explained that he didn't mean to tread on the flag and it was just a very unfortunate accident: 

"I didn't step on the flag on purpose! It's a scene in a video where the flag drops behind me and after it drop it's just there as I perform."

He also issued a statement on the incident, which was posted by The Hollywood Reporter, and it echoes his initial comments: "It was never my intention to desecrate the flag of the United States of America. I was shooting a video for a song off my album entitled 'God Bless Amerika.'"

"The clip that surfaced on the Internet was a camera trick clip that revealed behind the American Flag was the Hoods of America. In the final edit of the video you will see the flag fall to reveal what's behind it but will never see it on the ground."

Watch the footage in question below: