Hip-hop network calls off boycott of Pepsi products

NEW YORK -- A hip-hop network founded by music impresario Russell Simmons on Tuesday called off a planned boycott of Pepsi products, saying it had reached an agreement with the soft drink giant.

The Hip-Hop Summit Action Network, which had threatened the boycott after Pepsi pulled an ad featuring rapper Ludacris, said the deal calls for Pepsi to make a multimillion-dollar donation over several years to the rapper's foundation.

However, Pepsi spokesman Larry Jabbonsky denied Tuesday night that the company had agreed to donate money to the foundation. He said Pepsi hadn't decided "how and to whom funding will be allocated."

"We are in the process of putting this relationship together," Jabbonsky said.

Earlier Tuesday, Jabbonsky had said Pepsi and Hip-Hop Network had "come to an agreement where the common ground is young people," but declined to provide any specifics.

Hip-Hop Network spokeswoman Jody Miller said the agreement was reached Monday night but that some details were still being worked out.

"We are in a negotiating process," she said.

Pepsi pulled the ad featuring Ludacris in August, a day after Fox News Channel's Bill O'Reilly ran a segment criticizing the company for using the rapper and criticizing some of his lyrics.

Last week, Simmons threatened a boycott of Pepsi and its subsidiaries to begin Wednesday unless the company ran the ad and donated $5 million to Ludacris' foundation.

There was no indication the ad would be placed back on the air. Neither Pepsi nor the Hip-Hop Network would comment on the ad's status.