So, the young man in the picture you see slogan was to be multi before he dies. He was talking about millions. About a month ago, the world got news that he was officially a billionaire. A little under a year ago, he turned down the opportunity to perform at the NFL’s biggest game, the Super Bowl. He then stated in a song “you need me, I don’t need you” and “we are selling out stadiums too.” Last week, Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter signed a deal with the NFL to consult in regard to entertainment presentations (including the Super Bowl) and social activism via the NFL’s Inspire Change Initiative. That guy in the photo grew from an aspiring rapper into a billionaire entertainment mogul but we are mad at him? Did he somehow sellout? Did he make a snake move? Did he go against his word? Has he taken back anything he said about the league? Let’s discuss.
I believe the issue for most people is Jay-Z’s support in the past of Colin Kaepernick. Jay-Z was extremely vocal in supporting the kneel and speaking up for Colin in terms of him having a job in the NFL. At this time, the NFL had done nothing in response of the social issues in America. Body after body, name after name, video after video of black people being killed at the hands of police and mum’s was the word for the biggest sports/entertainment company in the US with 80+% of the league’s players looking like the victims. This was ridiculous and shouldn’t have been tolerated. The NFL had to make a decision. Upset the fans who are offended by kneeling players or upset the fans and players who are in support of what the kneel stood for. The NFL being the corporation it is played both sides by creating a social activism initiative, donating money to companies with similar causes and creating a rule that a player cannot kneel but could choose not to be present during the anthem.
Yes, at the start of the 2017 season Colin should have been on a team as at least a backup, but he was blackballed. It was no cover up, the league did it. They even settled with Colin before a trial that would have exposed them. Back to Jay-Z in this situation, support of a person does not include self-sabotage. I feel people at Walmart should be paid more. I feel Amazon shouldn’t undercut the prices of private merchants on their site. I shop at both because they sell everything and it’s beneficial to myself and every other customer. Jay-Z signing this deal gets him at a round table with the NFL and its owners as an influencer. That brings the total amount of black Americans at the table to 1. Not taking this deal for the sake of a player who hasn’t played in years is ridiculous.
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Others may have an issue with Jay-Z supporting the boycott of the NFL’s Superbowl, even calling some to tell them not to perform. This may seem like a snake move or a sudden change of heart. I can’t state 100% that it is not one of them but I feel Jay-Z didn’t think a deal like this was possible at the time. The NFL is one of, if not, the most powerful American company. Tens of Billions of dollars in revenue every year with its average franchise being worth about $2.57 billion according to Forbes as of August 2019 and only going up. They didn’t have to move in this direction but did. Maybe they saw numbers dipping and decided to kneel to the pressure themselves. So, let’s say you see a company you support in some way is looking the other way on an issue you feel should be addressed. You post on your social media account that change is needed and until change happens no one should support them. A year or so later, they address it. They then contact you to assist them in doing even more. What do you do?
Some in the know, beef with him is telling a fellow entrepreneur not to do a similar deal with the league. This is the only beef that is tough for me not to support. According to fellow producer Bryan Michael Cox, Jay-Z contacted Jermaine Dupri and told him not to do a similar deal. (Don’t believe me? Watch. Skip to the 14:35 mark https://www.pscp.tv/w/1RDxlvzVeVqGL ) This is a little dirty but as a business man…wait no. Full disclosure, I’m only defending this because it’s Jay-Z. I’m from Brooklyn. He’s from Brooklyn. I grew up on his music. Hopefully, he bobs his head to mine. So, here is the defense. I feel that Jay-Z felt Jermaine may drop the ball. Sometimes you have rubbed elbows with people enough to have an idea of how they would handle a situation or opportunity. I’m positive Jay-Z feels he’ll make better business moves than Jermaine would have and I agree based off prior business moves by both men. In 1998, when the two collaborated for the hit “Money Ain’t a Thing” they were both at the top of the industry. In your own time, compare what the two have accomplished business-wise since then. Both impressive, but it’s not close. (Update: Jermaine went on a local radio station in Atlanta on 8/21/2019 and stated Jay-Z didn’t tell him outright not to do the deal. Jermaine went on to say he backed down because of the backlash from others.)
In closing, the only thing I would have done differently if I were Jay-Z would have been to tell Jermaine that I’m in negotiations with the NFL to do the same thing I told you not to do and I feel the plan I have is best both for our people and the NFL. Now this could have resulted in multiple scenarios but ending in the same way. Jermaine saying okay, hanging up the phone and signing the deal with the NFL resulting in a broken friendship. Jermaine saying “F*#K you, you think you can do better than me?” and arguing resulting in a broken friendship. Jermaine saying okay let’s do it together, followed by Jay-Z signing the deal and delegating a menial (easy/requiring little skill) task to Jermaine, resulting in a broken friendship. Yeah, the relationship was doomed. How do you feel about this? What would you have done differently? Would you have even picked up the phone when the NFL called?
Food for thought…. You do the dishes.
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