JAY-Z Addresses Claims He Sold Out Over NFL Deal on Jay Electronica’s “Flux Capacitor”

Last August, JAY-Z and Roc Nation announced a partnership with the NFL for Hov and company to spearhead a new music and social justice campaign for the league. The deal received some backlash over his decision to do it without Colin Kaepernick‘s involvement, as it was believed the former 49ers quarterback was being blackballed by the NFL for his past protests against police brutality and racism.

At a press conference for the announcement, JAY praised Kaepernick for his way of protesting, but said the new deal would allow a different approach to the issue. “That’s his version of an action item, this is our version of an action item,” he explained. “We all do different things. We all work differently for the same results. I don’t knock what he’s doing, and hopefully he doesn’t knock what I’m doing.”

Critics suggested the rapper’s NFL deal was the equivalent to selling out by putting his financial interests over social injustices. On Jay Electronica’s “Flux Capacitor” off his recently released debut album, A Written Testimony, JAY-Z addresses these claims.

Hov raps:

Why would I sell out? I’m already rich, don’t make no sense

Got more money than Goodell, a whole NFL bench

Did it one-handed like Odell, handcuffed to a jail

I would’ve stayed on the sideline if they could’ve tackled that sh*t themselves

In a New York Times interview that was published a day before Super Bowl LIV, JAY-Z shared similar sentiment. “We didn’t say, ‘Let’s go make some money off the NFL,'” he said. The rapper added he could deal with criticism over the partnership if it helps white football fans realize they should care about police brutality, too. “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.”