Rapper, entrepreneur and philanthropist Jay-Z addressed why he and his wife Beyonce didn’t stand during Demi Lovato’s performance of the national anthem at Sunday’s Super Bowl.
The world found out that it was much ado about nothing.
While speaking in front of a classroom of students at Columbia University on Tuesday night (Feb.4), Jigga shut down any misconceptions.
“It actually wasn’t. Sorry,” Jay-Z said when he was asked during a Q&A whether remaining seated was meant to convey a statement. “It really wasn’t. … It was not premeditated at all.”
For anyone to think that Jay-Z was sitting down as a show of solidarity with Colin Kaepernick is living in a cave. The two sides are definitely not on speaking terms. Ever since Jay Z “crossed the picket line” and signed an entertainment and social justice deal with the NFL, he and the Kaepernick camp have been at odds.
Kaepernick’s girlfriend Nessa has been very critical of Jay-Z and feel he betrayed them by saying, “We are past kneeling” while sitting at the table with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell after he told other artists not to do business with the NFL.
She had this response to TMZ’s video.
In the end, all of the drama and expended negative energy was for nothing. More fake news.
According to billboard.com:
Given Jay-Z’s role in developing the show — which included the pre-game performances, a source tells Billboard — he says he and Beyoncé became so focused on Lovato’s performance that they simply forgot to stand.
“So we get there, and we immediately jump into artist mode,” he said. “So I’m looking at the show. ‘Did our mic start? Was it too low to start?’ … ‘Is it too many speakers on the floor?’ … So the whole time we’re sitting there and we’re talking about the performance. And then right after that, Demi comes out, and we’re talking about how beautiful she looked and how she sounds[ed], and what she’s going through in her life for her to be on the stage and we’re so proud of her.”
Jay-Z hastened to add that he would never have pulled a protest stunt in the presence of his and Beyoncé’s daughter, Blue Ivy, who was seated next to them at the time.
“We wouldn’t do that to Blue and put her in that position,” he said, adding later, “If anyone knows Blue … if we told her we were gonna do something like that, you would have seen her tapping me a hundred times. She’s the kind that gets in the car and closes the door and says, ‘We there yet, Daddy?’ So she would say, ‘What time? Are we doing it?’”
TMZ originally posted a video of the couple sitting down and implied a false narrative; that it was a silent protest in solidarity with Colin Kaepernick.
The social media world went into a frenzy with Trump supporters thirsting for the moment to dismiss and degrade Jay Z and Beyonce who are shining stars of the Black community. People just took it and ran with it. Some folks insinuated that the super couple, worth an estimated $1.4 billion, were protesting the anthem.
Rightwing shills such as Tomi Lahren insulted Jay-Z by calling him a crack dealer and suggesting that he and Beyonce intentionally showed disrespect to the country. Even when there were white people sitting right next to them whom she never acknowledged.
They both choose to live in the United States of America. But for the life of me, I don’t know why,” questioned Lahren, comparing the Carters to former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick and calling their behavior, “disrespectful and downright disgraceful.”
“Now I’ll explain to the Carters what I have many times explained to their America-hating counterpart. Colin ‘Crybaby — couldn’t make a team’ Kaepernick,” she said.
“It’s this nation and the men and women of every race and ethnicity who have fought for it that protects your right to even hate the country that affords you those rights,” she explained.
“Now, don’t get me wrong. You have the freedom to act like jerks. But I have the freedom to express what millions of hardworking and America-loving patriots think of your little stunt.
“Understand this — we stand for the flag and the anthem, not because this country is perfect or without flaws. We stand for that flag and anthem to honor those who fought, died and came home under that flag.
Show some freakin’ respect and gratitude because for some that flag means everything — enough worth dying for. And you can’t stand?
“Tomorrow you can go back to rapping your filthy lyrics and flying in your private jets adorned in jewels and designer clothing,” Lahren concluded. “But meanwhile, those who fight to protect this nation will be out there protecting and defending you and me, as they do every day and every minute of the year.”
Wow. Once again, this blowhard got her couple of minutes of fame while appealing to racists, right-wing oppressors and totally making up something that wasn’t true to throw a low blow at Jay and Bey.
Jay-Z further dismissed the bogus story by pointing out the diversity of stars and different cultural components that he brought to the halftime show, including Jennifer Lopez, Shakira, and other Latin music icons. Also, the Roc Nation co-produced commercial featuring Botham Jean, the man murdered by Dallas police officer Amber Guyger in September 2018 speaks for itself.
“We were making the biggest, loudest protest of all,” he continued. “Given the context, I didn’t have to make a silent protest.”
