The NFL has partnered with Jay-Z and Roc Nation, according to The New York Times. The partnership deal will reportedly find Jay-Z and the Roc in the role of the NFL’s brand-new “live music entertainment strategist.”
Hov will consult the NFL on entertainment around the league — including producing its famed Super Bowl halftime show, which has seen a number of artists turn down the opportunity in recent years. Roc Nation will also be part of the NFL’s social justice campaign by contributing to the league’s Inspire Change initiative.
“The N.F.L. has a great big platform, and it has to be all-inclusive,” Jay-Z told NYT. “They were willing to do some things, to make some changes, that we can do some good.”
The Brooklyn mogul has been critical of the NFL in the past, notably rapping on Everything Is Love single “Apeshit,” “I said no to the Super Bowl/ You need me, I don’t need you.”
Trending on Billboard
Jay has also been a staunch supporter of Colin Kaepernick in his bout against the NFL. Hov has even gone as far as to calling Kap an “iconic figure” in the mold of a Muhammad Ali in the black community. Jay-Z wore a black Kaepernick jersey during his 2017 performance on Saturday Night Live.
“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,” NFL commissioner Roger Goodell told NYT. “I think that’s a core element of our relationship between the two organizations, and with Jay and I personally.”
Roc Nation Sports represents several clients around the league, including Juju Smith-Schuster, Jaire Alexander, Saquon Barkley, Leonard Fournette and more.
The NFL is officially set to announce details of the partnership on Wednesday (Aug. 14).