Athletic merchandise retailer Reebok has dropped rapper Rick Ross as the face of its brand. The decision comes after the 37-year-old emcee raps a line that flippantly describes a date rape.

"Reebok holds our partners to a high standard, and we expect them to live up to the values of our brand. Unfortunately, Rick Ross has failed to do so," the Adidas subsidiary said.

While we do not believe that Rick Ross condones sexual assault, we are very disappointed he has yet to display an understanding of the seriousness of this issue or an appropriate level of remorse. At this time, it is in everyone's best interest for Reebok to end its partnership with Mr. Ross."

Ross has been under fire over the line, "Put molly all in her champagne, she ain't even know it. I took her home and I enjoyed that, she ain't even know it," which he rapped in a verse in fellow rapper Rocko's "U.O.E.N.O" song.

The line, though doesn't outright mention date rape, is deemed as encouraging date rape by critics. Ross denied the allegation, saying that it wasn't what he meant at all.

"I would never use the term rape in my records, in my lyrics. And as far as my camp, hip-hop don't condone that, the streets don't condone that, nobody condones that," he told New Orlean's 93.3 FM in a radio interview.

Women's rights group UltraViolet wasn't satisfied with the explanation, and urged Reebok to drop Ross as its spokesman.

"We are appalled that Reebok would pay a spokesperson who brags about enjoying drugging and raping a woman," cofounder Nita Chaudhary said in a statement. "Reebok devotes a lot of time, energy, and money to marketing to women - and now they are paying a man who is literally bragging about raping us while absurdly insisting it can't possibly be rape if he doesn't use the word 'rape.'"

Rocko, meanwhile, said that he will release a version of his song without the offensive line.

"With all respect to the homie Ross, it's a Catch-22," he told Hot 97. "I don't want to take him off. But one thing that's set in stone is he's always going to be on that song. It doesn't matter who I put on the song, that's going to always be the original version."