PA ImagesIt has been a busy week for Jay-Z, who looks set to become a part owner of the NFL, despite major criticism over his involvement with the league.
The rapper will have ‘significant ownership interest’ in the NFL, ‘because he’s a huge fan, already has a sports business and wants to continue to be a change agent for the NFL’, according to TMZ Sports.
The news comes shortly after it was revealed his business, Roc Nation, will start a controversial partnership with the league.
PA ImagesJay-Z held a press conference alongside NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, where they were unable to avoid questions about Colin Kaepernick, who was banned from playing in the league for kneeling in protest of police brutality against African Americans in the US, and also happens to be a friend of Jay.
As per Complex, when asked if the quarterback would be involved in the partnership, he said: I’m not his boss, I can’t just bring him into something. That’s for him to say.
The move has faced global criticism, with stars like Eric Reid and Kaepernick’s partner Nessa Diab bashing the partnership, and now Rihanna has had her say on the debate, kind of.
PARiRi, who is herself one of Jay’s own fledglings, made a subtle nod to her own views on the situation when she liked a post by social activist Shaun King, who was less than subtle about putting his own opinions out there.
Captioned ‘Jay-Z was wrong’, King shared a link for his podcast where he says he breaks down ‘the pain and the problems of what Jay-Z just did in striking a deal with the NFL’.
King continued:
One that he spent a year building, while they actively prevent Kaepernick from ever paying another game again.
Let me tell you two things: If you actively banned a friend of mine from 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 on here.
And in that year, Jay-Z talked to Colin repeatedly. He never mentioned this dealing being in the works, because he knew it was shady, he knew it was wrong.
PA ImagesThe moment was screenshot by gossip account The Neighbourhood Talk, before Rihanna seemingly ‘unliked’ the post.
This could cause tensions between Jay-Z and Rihanna, who is signed to Roc Nation, and also got her start in music with Def Jam Recordings, where Jay was president at the time.
Colin Kaepernick is yet to share his views on the partnership, but it’ll be interesting to hear what he has to say…
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Emma Rosemurgey is an NCTJ trained Journalist who started her career by producing The Royal Rosemurgey newspaper in 2004, which kept her family up to date with the goings on of her sleepy north east village. She graduated from the University of Central Lancashire in Preston and started her career in regional newspapers before joining Tyla (formerly Pretty 52) in 2017, and progressing onto UNILAD in 2019.