*JAY-Z addressed the criticism surrounding his NFL partnership during a press conference with Commissioner Roger Goodell Wednesday.
“I think that we forget that Colin’s whole thing was to bring attention to social injustice,” JAY said when asked about free agent quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who protested the national anthem before football games in order to raise social injustice awareness. “In that case, this is a success. This is the next thing because there’s two parts of the protest.”
Jay said the NFL partnership falls under the second part, Complex reports. “Everyone heard and we hear what you’re saying and everybody knows I agree with what you’re saying, so what are we gonna do?”
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As we previously reported, Jay-Z’s Roc Nation agency inked a deal with the NFL that will allow him to assist the league in managing its entertainment and social justice endeavors.
The deal will also allow the company to co-produce the Super Bowl halftime show, and Roc Nation will have a hand in selecting entertainers to perform in NFL content throughout the season, per Sports Illustrated.
“With its global reach, the National Football League has the platform and opportunity to inspire change across the country,” Jay-Z said according to ESPN. “Roc Nation has shown that entertainment and enacting change are not mutually exclusive ideas — instead, we unify them. This partnership is an opportunity to strengthen the fabric of communities across America.”
about people of color by forming numerous disingenuous partnerships to address social injustice while collectively blackballing Colin, the person who brought oppression and social injustice to the forefront of the NFL platform.
— Eric Reid (@E_Reid35) August 14, 2019
Interesting timing on the partnership with Jay-Z on the heels of Stephen Ross’ fundraiser for Donald Trump and the backlash his other companies are getting because of it. #PayAttentionFolks
— Eric Reid (@E_Reid35) August 14, 2019
Meanwhile, Kaepernick’s NFL player buddy Eric Reid and activist Shaun King, are not thrilled with Jigga’s latest business venture.
Reid went to Twitter rant about the NFL deal because Kaepernick is not part of it.
King is also baffled that Jay-Z would rumble with the NFL after the league blacklisted Kaepernick for bending a knee for social justice.
“If you are baffled by the move that Jay Z just made with the NFL then you don’t actually listen to his music,” King tweeted on Wednesday. “He’s a proud capitalist. It’s the primary theme of his career. Last year he dissed people who performed at the Super Bowl. Wore a Kaep jersey. They made him an offer.”
