Music boss Jermaine Dupri pretty much blasted music superstars Jay-Z and Rihanna, who have publicly declared they are boycotting the Super Bowl due to the NFL’s stance on players who kneel during the national anthem.
According to TMZ, the So So Def music label founder, 46, who also produces the reality show “Growing Up Hip Hop,” says people like Jay and RiRi are missing out on an opportunity to promote their cause on one of the biggest stages in the world. Tens of millions of people worldwide tune in each February to watch America’s most popular annual event.
If anything, JD rationalizes, Robyn Fenty, 30, and Shawn Carter, 48, should be more like Jay-Z’s wife, Beyonce. Remember when Queen Bey used the Super Bowl halftime stage a few years back to promote her blockbuster “Formation” song and show support for the #BlackLivesMatter movement? Bey also angered many people when she paid homage to the Black Panther Party and their fight against police brutality from the 1960s.
Rihanna and Jay-Z loudly spurned offers to perform during the halftime show, with Hov saying “no” to the NFL last year. Both are still resentful about how the NFL has treated former quarterback-turned-cultural hero Colin Kaepernick. Most fans believe NFL owners have conspired to keep “Kaep” out of the league since he first knelt during the Star-Spangled Banner in 2016. Kaepernick has filed a lawsuit against the league accusing them of collusion.
The reason TMZ was speaking with JD, who discovered 1990s greats Da Brat, Xscape, 112 and Bow Wow, is because the Super Bowl will be hosted in Atlanta this year, Dupri’s hometown. JD believes the vast platform that the the Super Bowl provides works a lot better than a boycott.
He said, “Boycotts and marches don’t seem like they work to me, I’m sorry. I think they should send a message while they’re onstage, take advantage of your platform.”
To be sure, JD believes in democracy and freedom of speech and folks having their own opinions. If they want to boycott the Super Bowl, that is fine with Dupri. He just believes noise is better than silence on a matter as monumental as this.
“The more people speak on it, the more they talk about it, then the more people feel like it’s something they have to address. I feel like people ignore boycotts,” Dupri said.
