by Jeroslyn JoVonn
October 16, 2024
Jay-Z is locked in with the NFL and will continue his partnership with the league.
Jay-Z will continue to lead the curation of the Super Bowl halftime show, following a continuation of his partnership with the National Football League.
According to Bloomberg, the hip-hop mogul’s contributions through his Roc Nation company to the highly anticipated show have impressed NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, who announced an extended partnership between the NFL and Roc Nation. Goodell spoke highly of Jay-Z (real name Shawn Carter) and Roc Nation’s CEO Desiree Perez while at Tuesday’s NFL owners meeting in Atlanta.
“It’s been a mutually positive relationship,” Goodell said of Roc Nation and Perez. “I’m not sure either one of us really [spends] much time talking about contracts,” Goodell added. “Jay is happy. Desiree Perez is happy. I’m happy, so we’re all good.”
Roc Nation and the NFL partnered in 2019 to “spearhead and advise on the selection of artists for the league’s major performances,” according to a statement announced at the time. In addition to the Super Bowl halftime show, Roc Nation supports the NFL’s Inspire Change program, the social justice initiative that has awarded $375 million in grants.
The partnership emerged at a pivotal moment for the NFL, as the league faced criticism over its handling of Colin Kaepernick’s and other players’ peaceful protests against police brutality and racial inequality by kneeling during the national anthem. Kaepernick was gradually pushed out of the league and never returned. In 2018, the NFL implemented a policy requiring players to stand during the anthem if on the field, with the option to remain in the locker room if they chose not to stand.
Jay-Z faced criticism when he partnered with the NFL, with many feeling that it was an act of betrayal against Kaepernick. Amid the backlash, the “99 Problems” rapper defended the deal, saying, “I think we’ve moved past kneeling and I think it’s time to go into actionable items.”
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