Questlove apologises over Instagram comments

Musician Questlove has issued an apology for a series of online comments appearing to mock the Japanese accent. The Roots drummer, who was in the Asian country on tour, posted several controversial comments on his Instagram.com account during a conversation with music manager Dawn Englehart and Top Chef host Padma Lakshmi.
The posts, as well as a video of a Japanese woman who he suggested was speaking “in tongues”, have since been deleted.
The Late Night With Jimmy Fallon band leader took to his Facebook.com page on Thursday (26Dec13) to apologise for the comments, insisting he meant no offence.
In a lengthy post, he writes, “I’m a human being and dumber yet, i’m a public figure. If you’re lucky enough to be either of the aforementioned, then not only should one stay clear of saying or writing hurtful things, one should actively work against feeling comfortable, thinking hurtful thoughts. Given that black culture consistently finds itself at the butt end of so many offensive ‘outsider’ jokes, I should be way, way more sensitive… I for one, should never allow my cultural bias to take precedence over my ‘examined life’.”