Jay-Z lyric about Colin Kaepernick’s NFL settlement draws scrutiny
TheGrio...
A lyric from the rap mogul’s Yankee Stadium performance reignited scrutiny over Kaepernick’s 2019 agreement with the NFL.
Jay-Z is facing renewed criticism after a freestyle performance at Yankee Stadium reignited a years-old conversation about Colin Kaepernick’s relationship with the NFL—and whether the former quarterback agreed to remain silent as part of his 2019 settlement with the league.
During one of his “Jay-Z 30” anniversary concerts, the rap mogul took aim at critics in a freestyle that included the line: “Buddy took a check, I ain’t even mad at him, but along with that check you have to sign a non-disparagement. I’m the one they can’t control.”
The lyric appeared to reference Kaepernick’s confidential settlement with the NFL, which ended the former San Francisco 49ers quarterback’s collusion grievance after he accused league owners of blackballing him for kneeling during the national anthem to protest racial injustice and police brutality.
However, according to TMZ Sports, citing sources with direct knowledge of the agreement, Kaepernick did not sign a non-disparagement clause as part of the settlement. The outlet reported that no provision prohibited Kaepernick from criticizing the NFL, pointing to his continued public comments about the league and his unemployment as evidence he was never contractually barred from speaking out.
One source told TMZ that if such an agreement had existed, Kaepernick’s social media posts highlighting how long he had gone without being signed by an NFL team likely would have violated it.
Kaepernick has not publicly commented on the verse.
The controversy has revived long-standing tensions surrounding Jay-Z’s 2019 partnership between Roc Nation and the NFL. At the time, some supporters of Kaepernick accused the billionaire entrepreneur of aligning with the league while the quarterback remained unsigned, despite Jay-Z’s earlier public support for Kaepernick’s protest movement.
Because the terms of Kaepernick’s settlement remain confidential, few details have ever been publicly confirmed.