By: Tiffany Burke
On August 13, 2019, Roc Nation, the entertainment agency founded by Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter, and the NFL announced a multi-year partnership together.[2]As part of the deal, Roc Nation will advise the league “on the selection of artists for major . . . performances like the Super Bowl” and assist in “nurtur[ing] and strengthen[ing] community through football and music” through Inspire Change, the NFL’s campaign to “reduce barriers to opportunity.”[3]This unexpected partnership is especially perplexing because Colin Kaepernick, the former San Francisco 49ers quarterback who was blackballed for taking a knee during the National Anthem to bring awareness to social justice issues, is not involved in the initiative.
Kaepernick kicked off the 2016 NFL pre-season by sitting on the bench during the National Anthem to protest the systemic oppression and police brutality experienced by people of color.[4]Kaepernick went on to adjust his protest from sitting on the bench to kneeling on the field after speaking with former NFL player and Green Beret, Nate Boyer.[5]As a result of his protest, Kaepernick faced intense backlash, including being referred to as a “son of a bitch” by President Trump.[6]In March 2017, seven months after Kaepernick began his protest, he formally opted out of his contract to avoid being cut by the 49ers.[7]In February 2019, the NFL settled a lawsuit filed by Kaepernick alleging that the league colluded to keep him off the field.[8]More than three years after he took a seat during the National Anthem, Kaepernick has still not been signed by a team.
Jay-Z has publicly supported Kaepernick and shunned the NFL multiple times, making the partnership even more puzzling. In September 2017, at a performance in Queens, New York, Jay-Z dedicated his song, “The Story of O.J.” to Kaepernick.[9]That same month, Jay-Z turned down the opportunity to perform at the 2018 Super Bowl halftime show.[10]In October 2017, Jay-Z performed on Saturday Night Live wearing a jersey emblazoned with “Colin K” and the number 7, Kaepernick’s jersey number during his time with the 49ers.[11]In January 2018, Jay-Z called Kaepernick an “iconic figure.”[12]In June, 2018, Jay-Z snubbed the NFL on his song “APESHIT” with Beyoncé, rapping: “I said no to the Super Bowl, you need me, I don’t need you / Every night we in the endzone, tell the NFL we in stadiums too.”[13]
In a league where almost seventy percent of players are Black men, Jay-Z’s partnership with the NFL seems perplexing at best, and downright greedy and disingenuous at worst.[14]After showing support for Kaepernick and disdain for the NFL, it’s strange that Jay-Z would then turn around and get in bed with the league. After all, Jay-Z, the first billionaire rapper, isn’t pressed for money and didn’t needto do the deal, especially considering that he turned down a check from the NFL nearly two years before this new partnership was announced.[15]It’s clear that the NFL wanted Jay-Z in its corner, which arguably increased his bargaining power, which he could have leveraged multiple ways. Jay-Z could have held off on the deal until Kaepernick was signed by a team, he could have insisted that Kaepernick be included in the partnership, or he could have declined to partner with the NFL altogether and partnered with Kaepernick instead. However, Jay-Z didn’t choose any of those options, and instead, entered into an agreement with a sports league that has more than once found itself on the wrong side of important issues.[16]
This new partnership appears to seal Kaepernick’s fate as a formerNFL player, while letting the league off the hook and giving them access to potential Super Bowl halftime performers, including a number who Roc Nation represent.[17]This partnership allows the NFL to claim to support social justice issues simply by throwing money at a cause, while banishing players who protest.
[1]Kanye West feat. Jay-Z, Diamonds from Sierra Leone (Remix), onLate Registration(Def Jam Recordings and Roc-A-Fella Records, 2005).
[2]Around The NFL Staff, Jay-Z’s Roc Nation entering partnership with NFL, NFL(Aug. 14, 2019, 06:07 PM), http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000001041162/article/jayzs-roc-nation-entering-partnership-with-nfl.
[3]Id.
[4]Steve Wyche, Colin Kaepernick explains why he sat during national anthem, NFL (Aug. 28, 2016, 04:33 PM), http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000691077/article/colin-kaepernick-explains-protest-of-national-anthem; Chris Biderman, Transcript: Colin Kaepernick addresses sitting during national anthem, Niners Wire(Aug. 28, 2016, 5:47 PM), https://ninerswire.usatoday.com/2016/08/28/transcript-colin-kaepernick-addresses-sitting-during-national-anthem/.
[5]Will Brinson, Here’s how Nate Boyer got Colin Kaepernick to go from sitting to kneeling, CBS Sports(Sept. 27, 2016, 10:39 AM) https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/heres-how-nate-boyer-got-colin-kaepernick-to-go-from-sitting-to-kneeling/.
[6]Lauren Cook, NFL players kneeling during national anthem: How Colin Kaepernick started a movement and why, amNewYork(Sept. 5, 2018, 4:02 PM), https://www.amny.com/news/nfl-players-kneeling-during-national-anthem-how-colin-kaepernick-started-a-movement-and-why-1.14287523.
[7]Nunzio Ingrassia, GM John Lynch says 49ers would have cut Colin Kaepernick if he hadn’t opted out, FOX Sports(Jun. 1, 2017, 7:35 AM), https://www.foxsports.com/nfl/story/gm-john-lynch-says-49ers-would-have-cut-colin-kaepernick-if-he-hadnt-opted-out-053117.
[8]Edvard Pettersson, Colin Kaepernick Settles Blacklisting Lawsuit Against NFL, Bloomberg (Feb. 15, 2019, 4:21 PM), https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-02-15/colin-kaepernick-settles-blacklisting-lawsuit-against-nfl.
[9]Claire Valentine, JAY-Z Dedicates “The Story of O.J.” to Colin Kaepernick, PAPER (Sept. 16, 2017), https://www.papermag.com/jay-z-colin-kaepernick-meadows-2486097111.html.
[10]Sha Be Allah, Jay-Z Turns Down Offer To Perform At 2018 Super Bowl, The Source(Sept. 19, 2017), http://thesource.com/2017/09/19/jay-z-turns-offer-perform-2018-super-bowl/.
[11]TIME Staff, Here’s How Jay Z Showed His Support for Colin Kaepernick on SNL, TIME (Oct. 1, 2017), https://time.com/4964342/jay-z-snl-colin-kaepernick/.
[12]Melissa Mahtani, Jay-Z calls Colin Kaepernick “an iconic figure”, CNN (Jan. 27, 2018), https://www.cnn.com/2018/01/27/us/jay-z-colin-kaepernick-cnntv/index.html.
[13]The Carters, APESHIT, onEVERYTHING IS LOVE(Sony Music and Roc Nation 2018).
[14]Dr. Richard Lapchick, The 2018 Racial and Gender Report Card: National Football League, The Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport(Jan. 15, 2019), https://docs.wixstatic.com/ugd/7d86e5_0fea53798fdf472289d0966a8b009d6c.pdf.
[15]Zack O’Malley Greenburg, Artist, Icon, Billionaire: How Jay-Z Created His $1 Billion Fortune, Forbes(June 3, 2019, 5:56 AM), https://www.forbes.com/sites/zackomalleygreenburg/2019/06/03/jay-z-billionaire-worth/#6601f5d83a5f.
[16]E.g., Terence Moore, NFL Still Clueless When It Comes To Players’ Abuse Of Women, Forbes(Dec. 1, 2018, 8:35 AM), https://www.forbes.com/sites/terencemoore/2018/12/01/nfl-still-clueless-involving-players-abusing-women/#6c8d25c9503a;Roger Groves, Federal Court Exposes NFL’s Quiet Travesty: Denial of Retired Player Benefits, Forbes(July 3, 2017, 8:54 AM), https://www.forbes.com/sites/rogergroves/2017/07/03/federal-court-exposes-nfls-quiet-travesty-denial-of-retired-player-benefits/#60f754374ad1; Matt Vasilogambros, The NFL’s Concussion Cover-Up, The Atlantic(May 23, 2016), https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2016/05/nfls-concussion-cover-up/484016/.
[17]Artists, Roc Nation, https://rocnation.com/artists/(last visited Sept, 12, 2019).
