The National Football League is forming “an entertainment and social justice partnership” with American rap powerhouse Jay-Z and Roc Nation.
It has been reported that the deal would make the agency a co-producer of the popular Super Bowl halftime show.
Father of three Jay-Z issued a statement on the partnership through Roc Nation’s Twitter account:
https://t.co/IZ10FYGgwN pic.twitter.com/w3xKbGStXj
— Roc Nation (@RocNation) August 14, 2019
According to the Bleacher Report, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell told the New York Times recently that the league is looking to put itself in the best position moving forward.
“We don’t want people to come in and necessarily agree with us; we want people to come in and tell us what we can do better,” Goodell said. “I think that’s a core element of our relationship between the two organizations, and with Jay and I personally.”
Roc Nation, which represents the likes of New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley and Los Angeles Rams running back Todd Gurley, looks forward to potentially making a difference in the league.
“The NFL has a great big platform, and it has to be all-inclusive,” Jay-Z said, per Belson and Sisario. “They were willing to do some things, to make some changes, that we can do some good.”
Interestingly, Jay-Z turned down the opportunity to perform at the Super Bowl LII halftime show. The Carters’ 2018 song “Apes–t” featured a strong message to the NFL regarding his decision: “I said no to the Super Bowl: You need me, I don’t need you. Every night we in the end zone, tell the NFL we in stadiums too.”
Jay-Z also reportedly attempted to talk Travis Scott out of doing the Super Bowl LIII halftime show in Atlanta this past February.
In January 2018, Jay-Z called former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick “an iconic figure.”
