Jay-Z Reportedly Turned Down Super Bowl LII Halftime Show Gig Because Of Colin Kaepernick
The NFL is already preparing for Super Bowl LII next year and they reportedly want Jay-Z to perform at the halftime show. However, Jay-Z turned down the offer to show his support on former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick’s protest.
According to The Source, Jay-Z has no plans of following the footsteps of his wife Beyonce, who performed with Bruno Mars at Super Bowl 50 last year. The NFL and Pepsi are planning to top Lady Gaga’s highly-rated Super Bowl LI performance last year and Jay-Z is a perfect choice. However, Kaepernick and his protest are far more important for the music mogul than the Super Bowl.
Jay-Z showed his unity with Colin Kaepernick during a performance in New York City last Friday. He dedicated his song “The Story of O.J.” to Kaepernick and late comedian-activist Dick Gregory, who died last month. Kaepernick started a protest against police brutality last season by kneeling and sitting during the national anthem.
The protest has divided fans, players and personalities with people like Jay-Z showing their support for Kaepernick. However, the majority of NFL teams distanced themselves from the quarterback as he remained unsigned heading into the third week of the 2017 NFL season. He has been linked with teams such as the Cincinnati Bengals.
Despite the reports of the NFL offering the Super Bowl LII halftime gig to Jay-Z, the league has released a statement regarding the matter thru NFL spokesperson Brian McCarthy, per FOX News. The NFL did not deny or confirm the report of Jay-Z turning down the offer but they are still on a quest to find the perfect performer.
“No decisions have been made on the performer(s) and we are not going to speculate on particular artists. Along with Pepsi, we know that we will put on a spectacular show. When it is time to announce her name we will do it. Or his name. Or their names.”
The Super Bowl halftime show is one of the anticipated events in the world. Some of the artists who have performed in the Super Bowl halftime show include Michael Jackson, Prince, Madonna, The Who, Bruce Springsteen, Beyonce, Bruno Mars, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Black Eyed Peas, and Katy Perry.
According to NAACP Minneapolis president Jason Sole (h/t FOX 9), he was not surprised that Jay-Z turned down the offer to perform at Super Bowl LII. Sole wants other black entertainers to turn down the NFL if the gig was offered to them to show their support to Colin Kaepernick.
The NFL announced Lady Gaga would perform at Super Bowl LI this time last year. With just five months away from Super Bowl LII, the NFL still has some time to choose a new performer. It should also be noted that Beyonce caused some controversy last year during her Super Bowl 50 performance when she paid tribute to Black Lives Matter.
[Featured Image by Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images]
