Jay-Z Is A Hypocrite, But So Are We

In August 2016, Colin Kaepernick, then quarterback of the San Francisco 49ers, made the decision to remain seated as the national anthem played during several preseason games. By September of the same year, Kaepernick’s small gesture had become the talk of the country, highlighting a philosophical divide between NFL owners and the players. Now kneeling out of respect instead of sitting, Kaepernick became a figurehead in the ongoing fight against systemic injustice and police brutality, and he was using the NFL stage to do it. Despite personally consulting with Nate Boyer, a former member of the Army’s Green Berets, on how best to protest while remaining sensitive to the members of Armed Forces, Kaepernick’s decision to kneel became a conversation about everything but that. A conversation spearheaded by the NFL itself, a dialogue that fanned the rift between the NFL and its minority viewership to the point of protest.

Celebrities and influencers quickly caught wind of Kaepernick and his ongoing battle with the NFL for the freedom to protest. Everyone from Lebron James to Susan Sarandon to Barack Obama made the public declaration that they too stood with Kaep, but none more vocal than Brooklyn born rapper, Jay-z. Jay began publicly chastising the NFL for its treatment of Kaepernick, dedicating performances of “The Story of O.J.” to the Superbowl quarterback and sporting #7 jerseys…