Jay-Z is continuing to receive criticism after his recent partnership with the NFL, as well as the comments he made during a joint press conference. The music mogul and head of Roc Nation said that one reason he partnered with the league was to create a platform for change, but so far, this deal has only caused an uproar among those he wants to reach.
Kenny Stills on Jay-Z/NFL paternship: “Talking about we’re moving past kneeling like he ever protested… Choosing to speak for the people like he had spoken to the people… I wonder if he’s read my Facebook/IG comments or what people say to me… It didn’t seem very informed.” pic.twitter.com/QGak3JKCcO
— Cameron Wolfe (@CameronWolfe) August 19, 2019
The biggest point of contention for Jay-Z is that he said that “we’re past kneeling. I think it’s time for action.” This was in reference to Colin Kaepernick, Kenny Stills, Albert Wilson, Eric Reid, and other NFL players kneeling during the National Anthem as a form of silent protest. Kaepernick seemed to subtly respond to Jay-Z’s comments with a timely post on Instagram, but Stills opted for a more direct approach when saying that the deal doesn’t exactly sit right with him.
Videos by PopCulture.com
“That’s exactly what I was saying, I don’t want to get into it, but I think he could have reached out to Colin. He could have reached out to me. Some of the ways that he answered his questions, talking about ‘we’re moving past kneeling,’ like he ever protested,” Stills said to reporters. “He’s not an NFL player… Just choosing to speak for the people like he had spoken to the people… I wonder how many common people that he knows, that he’s spoken to. I wonder if he’s read my Facebook comments or my Instagram comments or some of the things that people say to me.”
Due to the way that this deal came to pass, Stills believes that the Jay-Z came across as misinformed. The head of Roc Nation is the one striking a deal with the NFL in an effort to promote change, but he isn’t the one dealing with negative comments on social media. Stills, in particular, has been receiving a lot of death threats after calling out the Miami Dolphins‘ owner for his support of President Donald Trump.
While Jay-Z may believe that this partnership is the best way to promote change, he is currently alienating those that have been protesting for the past few seasons. Eric Reid, Kenny Stills, and Colin Kaepernick have all voiced their displeasure with the deal, and they will continue to do their own style of protests until they see some positive results.
