The tension between Colin Kaepernick and Jay-Z continues. In a new interview with NBC News, the former NFL star suggested that Jay-Z’s recent public freestyle may have been rooted in a “guilty conscience.”
The drama kicked off back in July when Jay-Z took a swipe at Kaepernick during a series of concerts at Yankee Stadium. In a freestyle, the rap mogul referenced Kaepernick’s past NFL settlement, rapping, “They run out of characters, had to bring back up [Kaepernick] again… 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 [the NFL] can’t control.”
The dig came after Jay-Z faced backlash for selling an exclusive version of his album Reasonable Doubt at Target—a retailer currently facing boycotts from Black shoppers over its decision to roll back diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) practices. Kaepernick, conversely, is sticking to the boycott, with his spokesperson confirming that his upcoming memoir, The Perilous Fight, will not be sold in Target stores. Instead, the athlete is partnering with the National Association of Black Bookstores for his book tour.
It’s a massive shift from their once-solid alliance. Back in 2017, Jay-Z was one of Kaepernick’s loudest supporters, famously wearing his jersey on Saturday Night Live and dedicating a performance of “The Story of O.J.” to the quarterback after he began taking a knee to protest police brutality.
However, the tide turned in 2019 when Jay-Z’s Roc Nation announced a major partnership with the NFL to produce the Super Bowl halftime show and collaborate on social justice initiatives. That move left Kaepernick—who hasn’t played in the league since his 2016 protest—feeling alienated.
In his own book, Kaepernick previously revealed that their relationship was strained even earlier, noting that he turned down an offer to kneel onstage with Jay-Z in 2017, largely because he objected to the rapper’s use of racial slurs in his lyrics.
Now, with the two on opposite sides of the Target controversy, the former allies seem further apart than ever.