The Greens are defending their controversial rapper candidate over another video posted online, rejecting suggestions the song promotes violence against women and saying the lyric in question is actually about drug use.

Key points: A line in a song recently posted by Mr McAlpine's record label appears to say "choke a bitch"

A line in a song recently posted by Mr McAlpine's record label appears to say "choke a bitch" The Greens say the lyric is "choke it bitch", and is about smoking drugs

The Greens say the lyric is "choke it bitch", and is about smoking drugs Mr McAlpine yesterday apologised for "reprehensible" lyrics from earlier in his career

In the song, posted by his record company earlier this year, Angus McAlpine — performing under the name Angus Younga — appears to rap that "it ain't nothing" for him to "choke a bitch".

Greens leader Samantha Ratnam is standing by Mr McAlpine, who is the candidate for Footscray, and the party said the lyric was actually "choke it bitch", and is a reference to smoking drugs, not violence against women.

The party said the video was filmed in 2015.

Multiple posts on the Grhyme Productions record company's Facebook page, from March this year, promote it as "the new single" from an "upcoming release" which would be available in late 2018.

Mr McAlpine caused the party embarrassment yesterday when it was revealed that he rapped about condoning date rape, drug use and domestic violence years ago.

The lyrics included lines such as: "Got no class when trying to get some ass, put a rowie [Rohypnol] in your glass and wait for a few minutes to pass" and "Date rape drugs in her drink, then have my way".

He told reporters that it was a bad attempt at crude humour, called the lyrics "reprehensible", and said they were written when he was an "incredibly stupid and moronic" young man.

Since writing those lyrics in 2010, when he was the frontman of hip hop outfit Broken Aesthetiks, he said he had been on a journey of discovery that had taught him about "toxic masculinity".

Greens candidate for Footscray, Angus McAlpine. ( Facebook: Angus McAlpine )

Ms Ratnam said she had not heard the song, but maintained that her candidate was on a journey of change.

"A process of change is a journey and there are steps on the way, it often doesn't happen overnight," Ms Ratnam said.

"The Greens believe in the capacity to change."

She said Mr McAlpine had made some bad decisions in the past and that he was trying to turn his life around.

She said attempts to remove material from the internet were proving difficult.

Health Minister Jill Hennessy today said the Greens had mislead voters because Mr McAlpine had made further sexist remarks in a 2017 interview posted on YouTube.

"The Greens have decided political expediency is more important than the principle of treating women with respect," Ms Hennessy said.

Liberal MP Tim Smith yesterday said the lyrics highlighted the risks if the Greens were to hold the balance of power after next weekend's election.

"Questionable individuals like Mr McAlpine could be in a coalition government with Daniel Andrews," he said.

The Greens have already lost Upper House candidate Joanna Nilson over posts she made on Facebook about shoplifting, and derogatory comments about a female Liberal staffer, while in New South Wales, Jenny Leong yesterday called on her colleague Jeremy Buckingham to step aside over sexual harassment allegations.

The Greens campaigned in Richmond today, a seat they are trying to win off Labor's Planning Minister Richard Wynne, who holds the spot by just 1.9 per cent.

A poll in the Herald-Sun showed he had an election-winning lead, although political strategists from across the spectrum agree that seat polls can be fraught.