Is Jay Z’s NFL Deal Is A Blueprint For Activism?
Image From Kevork Djansezian (Getty Images)
Is Jay Z’s NFL Deal Is A Blueprint For Activism
By now you’ve seen the tweets, you’ve read Jamele Hill’s take on the deal Jay-Z made with the NFL to make his company, Roc Nation, the league’s official Live Music Entertainment Strategist.
You’ve heard players and artists share their opinion on the deal. You’ve seen Colin Kaepernick’s lawyers slam Jay Z for making the deal without Kap. But we have had little discussion about why it makes sense for Jay Z to negotiate a deal with the NFL and what this deal includes.
Before I go any further, it would be irresponsible of me not to say that I support Kap. How can you not support someone who sacrificed his career to force the world to pay attention to police brutality and a Justice System responsible for the mistreatment and death of black people.
The world didn’t handle it well at all.
I remember the founder of Papa Johns blaming kneeling for pizza sales being down. I remember the President of the United States recommending that NFL owners fire the very players who are working to unite everyone and work together. I remember the NFL making a rule saying you have to stand or stay in the locker room. I remember everyday people stating their reason for not wanting the kneeling during the anthem was because they don’t want to mix politics with football. Lastly, I’ll never forget how the NFL blackballed Kap from the league. That’s what makes the announcement of The NFL-Roc Nation deal somewhat disappointing.
Because of the sacrifices Kaepernick made, I would’ve liked to see him at the press conference standing next to Jay-Z and Roger Goodell. But now that the deal is done and the dust is settled, I can say that I’m glad Jay Z is at the helm of the ship.
In fact, I can’t think of anyone besides Kaepernick that I’d rather see partnering with the NFL.
One of Hov’s major accomplishments this year includes joining the three comma club, having a networth valued at a Billion dollars or more, but I don’t think this NFL deal was a money making move for him. Everyone’s quoted his business man line, but this deal is better represented by his verse on “Izzo (H.O.V.A.)”
I do this for my culture, to let them know
What a n**ga look like when a n**ga in a roaster
Show them how to move in a room full of vultures
Industry is shady, it needs to be taken over
Label owners hate me, I’m raising the status quo up
I’m overcharging n**gas for what they did to the Cold Crush
Pay us like you owe us for all the years that you hoed us
We can talk, but money talks, so talk mo’ bucks
Hov isn’t the average billionaire, he made a career of using music to give business advice, influencing how we approach life, and in the past few years we’ve seen him being the big brother in ways other billionaires fall short. Not to say he doesn’t make billionaire type of purchases, like renting out the iconic Louvre, where the Mona Lisa is filmed, for a music video. However, he also paid Lil Wayne’s taxes and hired lawyers for a family whose 4-year-old daughter had a gun pulled on her. He paid Meek Mill’s legal fees and formed a partnership to tackle prison reform. He provided legal team for 21 Savage when he was held by ICE and donated 1.5 million to Black Lives Matter.
Yes, it’s easy to throw money at a situation without being involved. But Jay Z is possibly one of the most involved activists at his level of stardom. Just days before Nipsey Hussle passed, Nipsey had a meeting scheduled with L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti, Jay-Z and members of Roc Nation to discuss combating gang violence in his hometown.
This deal, is not Jay Z selling out, it is him finding a new opportunity to use his company and influence to bring change.
With the NFL partnership makes Jay Z and Roc Nation the official Live Music Entertainment Strategists. This means we will now see musical artists working with the NFL like never before. Roc Nation will spearhead and advise on the selection of artist for the Super Bowl and will curate musical experiences and content from regular season performances.
“With its global reach, the National Football League has the platform and opportunity to inspire change across the country,” said Shawn “JAY-Z” Carter. “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.”
Now that Hov is influencing the biggest stage in the world, the Super Bowl, We’ll be able to see how he melds music, activism, and sports together. Roc Nation will be a part of the team putting together NFL halftime performances throughout the season. In addition, Roc Nation will work with the NFL, to create unique musical experiences. We should expect curated content such as Live Visual Albums, “Songs of the Season”, Pro Bowl Community Concert, and curated content from live performances and artist podcasts.
Roc Nation is also tasked amplifying the NFL’s Inspire Change focus areas that determined by NFL players. The list of priority areas includes Education and Economic Advancement, Improving Police-Community Relations, and Criminal Justice Reform. This means that Jay Z is not just working with the league, he’s working with the very players the world tunes in to support every week. Having worked in the league since 2013 when Geno Smith signed to Roc Nation Sports, I trust Hov will be able to use his experience as an agent to communicate with players in ways others could not. Even though he publically supported Kaepernick throughout this journey, he is responsible for creating a thriving environment for his clients playing in the NFL.
As the 100th season of the NFL kicks off, we will see if the televised Inspire Change initiative will spread awareness the way kneeling has done for the past few years. Soon we will see if our call to action truly has been answered. With Jay-Z now being linked to NFL’s initiative that is challenging the current status of these failing areas, I have hope. This deal isn’t an overnight fix but with the NFL planning to broadcast the Inspire Change efforts and conversations on their platform, we are going in the right direction.
Like I said earlier, I want Kaepernick to play, and it hurts to see the government, MAGA followers, and NFL owners try to silence the voice he brought to the NFL. It almost makes me want to go up to Hov and yell GET OUT before it’s too late. But it brings satisfaction to imagine the large volume of anti-Kap people not being able to avoid the conversation now that the NFL is televising conversations about social justice. The risk of Hov becoming the NFL’s “Black Friend” may reverse what Kap has fought for, but I know Hov is in a position to move the culture forward and ensure our voices are heard.