Wiz Khalifa has defended his use of offensive terms for women in his lyrics.

The 28-year-old rapper's tracks don't necessarily come across as respectful towards women, but he's adamant the ladies he's calling out deserve the labels he uses because of their behaviour, and he insists he'd never use a bad word to describe any of his female family members.

"It's a double-edged sword," he told Elle UK, noting he loves women and sees them as the smartest creatures on earth who need to be "empowered" and respected. "But some of the women we see in our (hip-hop) community – a lot of the ones that we talk about, who we don't have respect for – are the ones who come out in the music...

"There are women in the industry who use what they know to get ahead. We use our words, they use their bodies – it's an understanding. I would never disrespect a woman just because she's a woman, you know?"

Wiz also tries to set a good example with this outlook for his son Sebastian, three, who he shares with ex-wife Amber Rose - one of the women he has blasted in his lyrics.