Colin Kaepernick said he believes that Jay-Z’s recent comments about him speak to a “guilty conscience,” as the fallout between the former quarterback and the rapper deepens. Kaepernick responded as part of an extensive interview with NBC News after Jay-Z dissed the athlete during a recent concert.
In July, Jay-Z took aim at Kaepernick, the former San Francisco 49ers star, mentioning him and his settlement with the NFL in an impromptu rap during a series of concerts at Yankee Stadium.
“They run out of characters, had to bring back up [Kaepernick] again,” Jay-Z said, referring to people who have criticized him for a recent partnership with Target. “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.”
Earlier this year, Jay-Z drew ire when it was announced that he would sell an exclusive version of his “Reasonable Doubt” album at the retailer, which has been subjected to boycotts by Black shoppers after it rolled back its diversity, equity and inclusion practices.
Kaepernick, on the other hand, is honoring the boycott despite the potential financial cost. A spokesperson for the former quarterback confirmed he would not be selling his upcoming memoir, “The Perilous Fight,” in Target stores. Target did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
For his book tour, Kaepernick is partnering with the National Association of Black Bookstores.
More Colin Kaepernick coverage on NBC News
Jay-Z was freestyling about the hypocrisy of his critics in July when he mentioned Kaepernick. The lyrics were a far cry from 2017, when Jay-Z dedicated a performance of his song “The Story of O.J.” to Kaepernick after he had taken a knee to protest police brutality in America.
At the time, Kaepernick was a free agent. He never found employment in the NFL again after he protested during the national anthem in the 2016 season. Jay-Z, who wore Kaepernick’s jersey during a performance on “Saturday Night Live” in 2017, was one of Kaepernick’s highest-profile supporters.
Jay-Z was critical of the NFL, rapping on the 2018 song “Apes—” with his wife, Beyoncé, “I said no to the Super Bowl. You need me; I don’t need you.”
In his book, Kaepernick wrote that Jay-Z asked him in 2017 to kneel onstage during a performance of “The Story of O.J.” but that he declined, in part because he objected to the use of racial slurs in the lyrics. Kaepernick also wrote that before he was asked to join Jay-Z onstage, he had difficulties connecting with him on the phone as they exchanged emails in an effort to join forces on social justice issues.
Their relationship flipped in August 2019, when Jay-Z announced that Roc Nation, the entertainment company he co-founded, would partner with the NFL. Roc Nation has since produced every Super Bowl halftime show, and it partners with the league on social justice work.
Roc Nation declined to comment to NBC News for this article.
In his book, Kaepernick wrote that Jay-Z told him about the partnership only after it had been agreed to, and Kaepernick expressed his displeasure.
“I just want you to know, one, you’re serving the culture up to a bunch of racists and, two, they don’t care about you,” Kaepernick wrote about what he told Jay-Z when they spoke. “You’re the music guy to them. They quite literally need a Black face—and have said as much.”
In 2019, Jay-Z faced blowback for the NFL deal, as many viewed it as his turning his back on Kaepernick, who remained unemployed by the league.
At a news conference announcing the partnership, Jay-Z defended the decision.
“I think we have moved past kneeling. I think it’s time for action,” he said. “We forget that Colin’s whole thing was to bring attention to social injustice. In that case, this is a success. This is the next phase.”
The NFL declined to comment.
Kaepernick, who told NBC News’ Lester Holt that he did not sign a non-disparagement agreement with the NFL after having settled in 2019 with the league over his collusion lawsuit, said several people sent him the video of the freestyle.
“First and foremost, what it speaks to is power of people,” Kaepernick said about his reaction. “The backlash that [Jay-Z] received for partnering with the NFL and going counter to people’s interests in 2019 was a major problem for him, so much so that he’s still bringing it up in 2026.”
He added: “People are now realizing, ‘Why are you so comfortable stepping into these positions that are counter to the positions that people on the ground actually want?’ And to me, I view that as speaking to a guilty conscience and trying to reposition or reframe the conversation.”
Kaepernick said people who supported him have been consistent in not agreeing with Jay-Z’s actions.
“I haven’t publicly spoken about him in any matter, but it speaks to the level of impact that people are having and being able to continue to move not only individuals but corporations,” he said.
As for why he didn’t respond to Jay-Z immediately after the freestyle, particularly in regard to the misinformation about a non-disparagement agreement, Kaepernick said that there have always been efforts to discredit him and that Jay-Z is “another player” in that effort since he partnered with the NFL.
“He has built the alignment with the NFL, the NFL that has blackballed me, the same NFL that, in a players-owners meeting in 2017, said we need a Black face to help us get rid of the protests,” Kaepernick told NBC News. (The NFL has long denied Kaepernick’s blackballing claims.)
Kaepernick added: “I understand why he’s trying to do reputational recovery. I get it. I don’t agree with the actions, but I’m also not gonna respond to everything that’s said about me, because I also believe the actions and the work that I do will speak for themselves.”
