New York, NY

JAY-Z is getting into business with the National Football League. According to the New York Times, Hov’s Roc Nation has signed a deal with the NFL to aid in the league’s social justice efforts and bolster its connections in the music industry.

Roc Nation will reportedly serve as the NFL’s “live music entertainment strategist,” which includes consulting on productions such as the Super Bowl halftime show.

JAY will also contribute to the league’s Inspire Change initiative. The campaign was created after multiple players followed former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick’s lead by kneeling during the national anthem to protest racial injustice and police brutality.

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“The NFL has a great big platform, and it has to be all-inclusive,” JAY told the New York Times. “They were willing to do some things, to make some changes, that we can do some good.”

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell added, “We don’t want people to come in and necessarily agree with us; we want people to come in and tell us what we can do better. I think that’s a core element of our relationship between the two organizations, and with JAY and I personally.”

Hov’s partnership with the NFL comes after he turned down the league’s offer to perform at the Super Bowl LII halftime show. On The Carters’ EVERYTHING IS LOVE album, which received a perfect rating from HipHopDX, he mentioned his rebuffing of the gig on the single “APESHIT.”

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“I said no to the Super Bowl: you need me, I don’t need you/Every night we in the end zone, tell the NFL we in stadiums too,” he rapped.

JAY also reportedly tried to convince Travis Scott to not participate in February’s Super Bowl LIII halftime show. Scott ended up performing, joining Big Boi as one of the guests during Maroon 5’s set.

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