If there has to be a list of lyrical and production mavericks in the rap industry, Jay-Z will be one of the names in the list. The rapper has not only provided acceleration for the genre to be in the mainstream, but he also made sure he uplifted his community. So, when he founded ROC NATION, he wanted to represent the best of the talents and also boost the process of social equality and justice. That was the main purpose when he joined hands with the National Football League(NFL).
On February 12th, 2023, Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs played to win the coveted ‘Vince Lombardi Trophy’. This year Apple Music was the sponsor for the game and its Halftime event. The most decorated event at the Super Bowl since 1993 is its Halftime event. For 2023, one of the ROC NATION talents, Rihanna, was performing at the event. However, she was one of the people who dropped from the show to stand in solidarity with ex-49ers player Colin Kaepernick. The same was the reason why Jay and NFL’s partnership stirred controversy.
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Jay-Z And NFL Partnered In 2019
Three years after Colin Kaepernick took a knee during the national anthem against police brutality, the ROC NATION of Jay-Z and the NFL joined hands. Since 2019, Jay-Z pushed black talent to perform at one of the biggest concerts in the world. In 2021, The Weeknd performed at Halftime which was one of the most expensive sets. In 2022, Jay brought his colleagues and hip hop extraordinaire like Kendrick Lamar, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Mary J. Blige, and 50 Cent. The main purpose of the partnership was to initiate a social justice programme at the NFL.
However, the deal was marred due to the ghost of the Kaepernick controversy in 2016. The former 49ers quarterback took a knee and refused to stand during the national anthem. There were mixed reactions to his decision. Some hailed the decision, and some criticized it. In 2018, the NFL introduced a policy preventing players from kneeling. They could either stand or wait in the locker room. But, again the decision was withdrawn due to criticism.
To keep in tandem with their main motive, NFL also launched an initiative named ‘Inspire Change’. It was a great opportunity for Jay-Z and his music label to come on board for the initiative without getting tainted for not supporting Kaepernick. The initiative focused on three goals namely, “education and economic advancement; police and community relations; and criminal justice”. Nevertheless, it backfired for Jay-Z as people criticized his move to be a money-making one. Despite being involved in several other social causes, there was no need for him to join the NFL to push his work for social causes.
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Colin Kaepernick Explained The Reason For Kneeling
There have been instances of many sports personalities kneeling in the past. Players like LeBron James, Dwayne Wade, and others have stood for civil rights and utilized their platforms. Colin Kaepernick was not the first and he will surely not be the last to do so.
In 2017, he became a free agent. He filed a grievance against the NFL. However, the organization and player struck a deal which is reportedly said to be $10 million.
In an interview with the NFL, Kaepernick explained his reason for not standing during the national anthem. He said, “I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color. To me, this is bigger than football and it would be selfish on my part to look the other way. There are bodies in the street and people getting paid leave and getting away with murder”.
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