By Peyton Blakemore
The “Press” rapper issued her support of HOV amid backlash for his recently signed partnership with the NFL and speculated ownership of an NFL team. “I think that he could make a change. I feel like he didn’t just [commit] to an NFL deal without an agreement,” Cardi told TMZ photogs after attending celebrity blogger and podcast host Jason Lee‘s birthday party in NYC Sunday (August 18).
“I feel like he went in there like, ‘Alright, if y’all want me to work with y’all. Y’all need to bring my peoples in there. Y’all need to do things my way.’ And I feel like he’s going to change it,” she continued. “I feel like Jay-Z could bring Colin Kaepernick. I feel so. I feel like he has that power.”
Cardi’s comments come amid criticism of Jay-Z’s deal. Many celebrities and fans have voiced their disapproval of the surprise partnership given Jay’s previous support of Kaepernick — he was outspoken about their alleged blackballing of the former football player and even expressed his own dislike of the football league. Not only that, Jay’s explanation of his reasoning to sign a deal with the NFL caused many to question his motives.
In a press conference on Wednesday (August 14) — ironically the third anniversary of whenKaepernick first kneeled during an NFL game — the Roc Nation exec appeared to dismiss players’ kneeling protests after being asked if he would kneel or stand for the national anthem. “I think we’ve moved past kneeling. I think it’s time to go into actionable items,” Jay responded. “I don’t want people to stop protesting at all. Kneeling is a form of protest. I support protests across the board. We need to bring light to the issue and I think everyone knows what the issue is. We’re done with that.”
“We forget that Colin’s whole thing was to bring attention to social injustice. In that case, this is a success. This is the next phase,” he explained. “There [are] two parts of protesting. You go outside and you protest, and then the company or the individual says, ‘I hear you. What do we do next?'”
Jay continued, “For me, it’s like action, [an] actionable item, what are we gonna do with it? Everyone heard, we hear what you’re saying, and everybody knows I agree with what you’re saying [in Kaepernick’s underlying message]. So what are we gonna do? You know what I’m saying? [Help] millions and millions of people, or we get stuck on Colin not having a job.”
Shortly after Jay’s press conference, TMZ reported that Jay “had multiple reasons for becoming part of the NFL family,” and “one of them is that he is going to become part-owner of an NFL team.” Sources told the outlet, Jay is going to have a “significant ownership interest” in an NFL team and “it is going to happen in the near future.”
Photo: Getty Images
