Lil Wayne's complete "God Bless Amerika" video landed online yesterday (July 15) minus a controversial scene of the rapper stomping on the American flag. Footage from the shoot was released last month showing Wayne trampling the flag, which he said was a mistake.  
Even without the foot traffic, letting the stars and stripes hit the ground breaks the United States Flag Code, which may point to why the entire scene was pulled. The edited version, now blocked from YouTube over copyright issues, features the 30-year-old simply standing behind a hanging flag.
"I didn't step on the flag on purpose!" Weezy tweeted during the firestorm. He further explained himself on Facebook. "It was never my intention to desecrate the flag of the United States of America... 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 whats behind it but will never see it on the ground."
Respecting the flag doesn't amount to a change in lyrics though. On "God Bless Amerika" the YMCMB honcho offers a candid critique juxtaposing the realities of being a Black man in America vs. another skin color: "Damn, military minded, lost and can't find it/The stars on the flag are never shining/Uh, I saw a butterfly in hell today/ Will I die or go to jail today?"
 

Patriotism is a running theme for the father of four, who named his tour "America's Most Wanted." Wayne, T.I. and 2 Chainz are currently on the road for the two-month trek, which ends September 1. After that he'll head out on a European run with Mac Miller.

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(Photo: Young Money Records)