JAY-Z is going on the record about his much-talked-about partnership with the NFL.
After announcing a music and social justice campaign with the league last year, the Roc Nation boss received criticism over his decision to do business with the NFL following their treatment of Colin Kaepernick, who kneeled during the national anthem in 2016 to protest social injustice.
On “Flux Capacitor” off Jay Electronica’s long-awaited album A Written Testimony, Hov addresses claims that he sold out and betrayed the former San Francisco 49ers quarterback.
“Why would I sell out? I’m already rich, don’t make no sense / Got more money than Goodell, a whole NFL bench,” he raps, referencing NFL commissioner Roger Goodell. “Did it one-handed like Odell, handcuffed to a jail / I would’ve stayed on the sideline if they could’ve tackled that shit themselves.”
He even threatens to go back to his old ways. “You backstabbers gon’ turn me back to the old Jay,” adds Hov on his verse. “He’s not who you wanna see, he’s not as sweet as the old Ye.”
In an interview with The New York Times earlier this year, JAY-Z addressed the NFL controversy. “As long as real people are being hurt and marginalized and losing family members, then yes, I can take a couple rounds of negative press,” he said.
While he acknowledged Kaepernick, JAY-Z said it was time to step up and take action. “No one is saying he hasn’t been done wrong,” he added. “He was done wrong. I would understand if it was three months ago. But it was three years ago and someone needs to say, ‘What do we do now — because people are still dying?’”
Jay Electronica’s debut album, A Written Testimony, finally arrived on Friday after 13 years of delays. The 10 tracks feature JAY-Z on the bulk of the project, along with appearances from Travis Scott and The-Dream.
