After responding first with vulgarity and flippancy to criticism that he used an artist's GIF without permission or credit, Grammy-winning producer Diplo has changed his tune, even if he can't quite muster a full-throated apology.

"Sorry if I hurt your feelings, or trivialize your art," he wrote in a message to illustrator Rebecca Mock, before effectively blaming everyone else for Wednesday's social media firestorm that led Defamer to run the headline "Diplo Is a Dick." Which really, at this point, is pretty difficult to dispute.

To recap: On Wednesday, Diplo teased a track by Jack U (a collaboration between Diplo and Skrillex) in an Instagram video that appropriated a GIF by Mock. When it was pointed out by the artist and others that the he had done so without permission, Diplo added the credit and then replied with a ridiculously vulgar tweet that set the tone for everything that followed, which included insults aimed at Mock and her supporters, and attempts to trivialize the artist's work.

In his "apology," Diplo tells Mock he added the credit "out of respect for you." He continues:

I'm sorry i have trollish tendencies on the internet and i like to fight with people .. if your friends and "supporters" hadn't attacked me we could have probably shared some correspondence maybe even worked on something together ... but when people attack me i tend to shit on each and every one of them because thats just what i do.. I'm sorry thats my nature, (i get shitted on too but i have thick skin) I don't take twitter seriously, i think its a funny place .. For me.. Its not a place for breaking news or serious conversations legal battles.. I'm sorry I think its funny.. and do i like the attention? maybe [...]

Was i an asshole? yes.. probably .. Is everyone else being an asshole .. yes but who cares we all live another day and we don't have to always fight... did anyone get hurt.. i hope not .. i just want to make sure you know that i didn't mean any negative feelings towards you (none of the "misogynistic" twitters even tagged you) and i have said much worse things on here. so maybe this is also a future apology to everyone on the internet who follows me

In retrospect Diplo (who's still using the Twitter handle Giflo) probably should've left it at "Sorry," and "Was I an asshole? Yes." That much everyone -- including Defamer -- could agree upon.

(via Flavorwire)