Jay-Z to Reportedly Acquire 'Significant' Ownership in NFL Team

Jay-Z is believed to be setting his sights on a significant stake in an NFL team. The news comes in the heels of the backlash he's facing due to his recent partnership with the NFL.

Jay-Z has been making headlines lately due to his interest in the NFL for more reasons than one.

For one thing, it’s been announced that his entertainment company, Roc Nation has partnered with the organization for the selection of artist performances during the Super Bowl. The partnership also includes a collaboration with the NFL’s “Inspire Change” campaign, an initiative devoted to the advancement of social and racial justice.

Jay-Z’s efforts to align himself with the NFL has been receiving backlash due to his previous support of Colin Kaepernick. The former 49ers recently won in a lawsuit he filed against the NFL where he accused the organization of depriving him of employment...

Now it appears the former minority owner of the Brooklyn Nets will be dipping his feet back into team ownership again. TMZ reports the first hip-hop billionaire is setting his sights on becoming a major investor for an NFL team.

Details about Jay-Z’s plans were not revealed though a source told TMZ he intends to have a “significant ownership interest” in a team which has yet to be named. It will happen soon, according to the source.

Diab accused the rapper of using social justice to advance his business, forgetting that the organization he’s aligning himself to is the same one that’s been keeping Kaepernick from working again.

THE BACKLASH

Jay-Z’s efforts to align himself with the NFL has been receiving backlash due to his previous support of Colin Kaepernick. The former 49ers recently won in a lawsuit he filed against the NFL where he accused the organization of depriving him of employment after he controversially knelt during the National Anthem in protest of police brutality back in 2016.

Jay-Z, an advocate against police brutality himself, was one of Kaepernick’s staunch supporters back then. He even wore the football star’s jersey during a 2017 appearance on Saturday Night Live and called him an “iconic figure” during a 2018 CNN interview.

"The kneeling wasn’t about [Colin] not having a job, it was about social injustice. So now how do we deal with injustice? …For me, [this is] action . . ."

That being said, Kaepernick’s girlfriend, Nessa Diab lashed out at Jay-Z for his recent collaboration with the NFL. Diab accused the rapper of using social justice to advance his business, forgetting that the organization he’s aligning himself to is the same one that’s been keeping Kaepernick from working again. Moreover, the fact that Kaepernick was not even part of Jay-Z’s negotiations with the NFL left a bitter taste in Diab’s mouth.

JAY-Z'S RESPONSE

In defense of his actions, Jay-Z clarified that he spoke to Kaepernick beforehand and that his decision had nothing to do with the former NFL player.

“I think we are past kneeling. I think it is time to go into action,” the entertainment mogul told reporters on Wednesday. "The kneeling wasn’t about [Colin] not having a job, it was about social injustice. So now how do we deal with injustice? …For me, [this is] action . . . What are we going to do together? . . . Or will we get stuck on Colin not having a job?”

"STILL READY"

Kaepernick told his social media followers recently that he was “still ready” to play football after three years of being unemployed. He released a clip of him working out revealing he hasn’t stopped training since leaving the NFL in 2017. He has not publicly commented on Jay-Z's partnership with the NFL.