UNEXPECTED

NFL and Rapper Jay-Z to Team Up for Entertainment and Social Justice Initiative

The rapper will play a major role in the league’s social justice program and his entertainment company will take part in entertainment operations.

The NFL has struck a deal for rapper Jay Z to play a major role in the social justice program the league launched following the controversy over Colin Kaepernick’s national anthem protest, The Wall Street Journal reports. Under the partnership, the rapper will have a “prominent role” in the Inspire Change social justice program—which was launched last year amid heated debate over the NFL’s handling of players kneeling during the national anthem. Jay Z’s entertainment company, Roc Nation, will also play an “integral role” in the league’s entertainment operations, including the Super Bowl halftime show, podcasts, and music. The rapper told the Journal he felt comfortable getting involved with Inspire Change because of its potential to reach a wide audience, and was doing so despite the political differences he may have with NFL team owners. “I’m black. That’s my world,” he said. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell also told the newspaper there was “really no one quite like” the rapper, and said he and Jay Z wanted to create an “impact” with the alliance.