He said he sent the email in an attempt to break down racist stereotypes about rap music.

Iowa’s Department of Human Services director was reportedly asked to resign a day after he sent out an agencywide email with lyrics from the late rapper Tupac Shakur to 4,300 employees.

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Iowa Human Services Director Jerry Foxhoven was asked to step down on June 17 by Gov. Kim Reynolds, a day after he sent the agencywide email containing Tupac lyrics, according to the Associated Press. The mass email not only contained lyrics from the late rapper but encouraged employees to listen to one his songs in commemoration of his birthday.

It is not known if Foxhoven was asked to resign because of the mass email, but he did tell the Associated Press he doubted it was because of that. He also said that he sent the email in an attempt to break down racist stereotypes about rap music.

Foxhoven, who started running the agency in 2017, had also hosted weekly “Tupac Fridays” where he would play the rapper’s music in the office, as well as brought Shakur-themed cookies to the office to celebrate his 65th birthday. Some of the cookies also included the rapper’s iconic phrase “Thug life” written on them.

“As the governor has said, a lot of factors contributed to the resignation of Jerry Foxhoven and now Gov. Reynolds is looking forward to taking DHS in a new direction,” Pat Garrett, Reynold’s spokesman, said.

Source: Associated Press