NFL and Jay-Z Just Signed a Major Partnership

Rapper Jay-Z’s entertainment company Roc Nation, has signed an extensive partnership with the NFL as “live music entertainment strategist.”

Through the partnership, Jay-Z and Roc Nation will have a say on music performances including the Super Bowl halftime show, and will help guide the NFL’s social activism campaign “Inspire Change,” which it launched this year.

Jay-Z said in a pre-interview with the NY Times before the offical press conference, “The NFL has a great big platform, and it has to be all-inclusive. They were willing to do some things, to make some changes, that we can do some good.”

At a press conference at Roc Nation headquarters in New York on Wednesday he said there are “two parts of protesting. You go outside and you protest; and then the company or the individual says, ‘I hear you. What do we do next?’ I think we have moved past kneeling. I think it’s time for action.” He added, “We forget that Colin’s whole thing was to bring attention to social injustice. In that case, this is a success. This is the next phase.”

Eric Reid, the NFL player who was the first to kneel alongside Kaepernick, tweeted about Jay-Z, “It looks like your goal was to make millions and millions of dollars by assisting the NFL in burying Colin’s career.” He then said, “Jay-Z doesn’t need the NFL’s help 2 address social injustices. It was a money move 4 him & his music business. The NFL gets 2 hide behind his black face 2 try to cover up blackballing Colin.”

Kaepernick tweeted on Wednesday, “Today marks the three year anniversary of the first time I protested systemic oppression,” he wrote in the tweet. “I continue to work and stand with the people in our fight for liberation, despite those who are trying to erase the movement! The movement has always lived with the people!”