Radio Personalities Highly Critical of Jay-Z's NFL Roc Nation Partnership

Shaun King, social/political commentator of the Tom Joyner Morning Show and Hot 97's midday personality Nessa Diab, who is the girlfriend of Colin Kaepernick have come out strongly, along with others, against Jay-Z's recent deal with the National Football League. She slammed his partnership with the NFL, saying he was working with an organization that had blackballed Kaepernick.

Jay-Z has garnered some support from Charlamagne tha God of The Breakfast Club. However he says some of his questions in the released press conference video were censored by the NFL.

“I don’t mind you doing a business deal — but I do mind you wrapping it in social justice when you’re working with an organization that denies someone an opportunity," Nessa Diab said on Hot 97.

The NFL and Jay-Z's entertainment and sports representation company, Roc Nation, announced last week they were teaming up for events and social activism. Jay-Z said the deal had been in the works over the last seven months. The news conference with NFL's commissioner Roger Goodell following the announcement was held on the third anniversary of Kaepernick's first pre-game protest during the playing of the national anthem.


Commentator Shaun King was even more critical of Jay-Z.

Jay Z was wrong. ...today’s episode of The Breakdown where I unpack the pain and problems of what Jay Z just did in striking a deal with the NFL, one that he spent a year building, while they actively prevent @kaepernick7 from ever playing another game again. Let me tell you two things: if you actively banned a friend of mine for working for three years, and continued to do so, we can’t be friends. We damn sure can’t laugh and be buddies.

Secondly, Jay Z was working on this deal for a year. They flew out and met each other over and over again. It’s why they look like besties here. And in that year, Jay Z talked to Colin repeatedly. He never mentioned this deal being in the works, because he knew it was shady, he knew it was wrong. Anyway, listen to today’s episode.

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Let me say this up front. I have appeared in Jay Z's social good documentaries. I have written articles defending his social justice work. I say what I say today as somebody that has supported and defended him often. This also isn't me "canceling" him. But none of our leaders and voices, myself included, are beyond criticism.

A post shared by Shaun King (@shaunking) on Aug 17, 2019 at 4:47am PDT

Ebro of the morning show on Hot 97 chimes in on the controversy surrounding the deal.



On V-103's The Morning Culture with Frank Ski and JR, guest Toure said this is Jay-Z's biggest public mistake.



Here's a snippet of the press conference and his commentary below from Charlamagne's Instagram page.

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I asked Goodell was Kaep blackballed and he said “No, owners can sign him whenever they want.” I also asked him about people saying this partnership is disingenuous because Kaep doesn’t have a job, and I told him the best PR move the @NFL could do is to sign Kaep but all that’s on the cutting room floor somewhere but this post isn’t about me, it’s about the conversation being had. Like I said In a previous post.....Kaep’s protest worked and continues to work. Awareness has been raised and after awareness comes action. In order to be successful and sustain any process of meaningful change both awareness and action are necessary. I don’t see why anyone would think Jay is doing this for any reason other than he thinks he can make a real change. Has he not shown us he knows how to move in a room full of vultures? NFL shady it needs to be taken over! It may work, it may not work but why root against it when so many brothers playing in the league and communities they care about can benefit from it? If not this way then what’s the plan?? We don’t have to have the same course of action we just need to have the same goal but don’t listen to me tho!!!!!! I have on a #PaperPlane hat with a #ImWithKaep t shirt right now so I can’t be trusted......

A post shared by LENARD (@cthagod) on Aug 16, 2019 at 7:50am PDT

On Instagram Charlamagne wrote: Let the record show the @nfl edited all my questions to Roger Goodell.

I asked Goodell was Kaep blackballed and he said “No, owners can sign him whenever they want.” I also asked him about people saying this partnership is disingenuous because Kaep doesn’t have a job, and I told him the best PR move the @NFL could do is to sign Kaep but all that’s on the cutting room floor somewhere but this post isn’t about me, it’s about the conversation being had.

Like I said In a previous post.....Kaep’s protest worked and continues to work. Awareness has been raised and after awareness comes action. In order to be successful and sustain any process of meaningful change both awareness and action are necessary.

I don’t see why anyone would think Jay is doing this for any reason other than he thinks he can make a real change. Has he not shown us he knows how to move in a room full of vultures? NFL shady it needs to be taken over! It may work, it may not work but why root against it when so many brothers playing in the league and communities they care about can benefit from it? If not this way then what’s the plan?? We don’t have to have the same course of action we just need to have the same goal but don’t listen to me tho!!!!!! I have on a #PaperPlane hat with a #ImWithKaep t shirt right now so I can’t be trusted......


After these initial thoughts by these radio personalities following the press conference comes news that Jay-Z is interested in becoming a part owner of a NFL team.

Eric Reid of the Carolina Panthers and former San Francisco 49ers cornerback commented on the idea of Jay-Z becoming a NFL owner. Reid also took a knee with Kaepernick back in 2016 to protest racial injustice in the United States.

“Jay-Z claimed to be a supporter of Colin … and now he’s going to be a part owner. … It’s kind of despicable.”

Eric Reid spoke on reports that Jay-Z is interested in becoming part owner of an NFL team. pic.twitter.com/akYOt74rnE

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) August 17, 2019