JAY-Z says he wasn’t making any kind of protest at the Super Bowl.
JAY-Z and his wife Beyonce became the subject of much discussion online when a video that TMZ published showed the family staying seated during the national anthem.
Some fans called them out for not showing patriotism, while others defended their choice to remain seated. There were also others who theorized that it may be some sort of silent protest or political statement – JAY-Z is known to be a big supporter of Colin Kaepernick.
Apparently, it was none of those. The music mogul, who is collaborating with the NFL on entertainment events and his wife were working.
JAY-Z recently made an appearance at Columbia University on Tuesday (February 4), where he set the record straight on the controversy.
TMZ reports that a university professor asked if he and his wife’s decision to remain seated during the National Anthem was an attempt to “convey a signal.”
And JAY-Z replied, “It actually wasn’t. Sorry.”
He explained that, “We immediately jumped into artist mode,” adding, “I’m really just looking at the show. The mics start. Was it too low to start?”
He also shared that Bey told him she was thinking about what Demi Lovato, who sang the National Anthem, must have been going through leading up to her performance, pointing out that Bey has “performed at the Super Bowl before, and I haven’t.”
The couple was looking at Demi’s performance from a professional standpoint – making sure the audio and all aspects of the show were on point.
And as for their daughter, Blue Ivy, who attended the Super Bowl with them, he joked that there was no way the 8-year-old girl could’ve played it cool on cam if she was actually in on the alleged protest.
Besides, JAY-Z says there was no need to make a protest – putting together such a diverse musical artists to perform during the pregame show and the halftime show was already “making the biggest loudest protest of all.”
The Super Bowl performances included Demi Lovato singing the National Anthem, Yolanda Adams singing “America the Beautiful,” Shakira and J Lo co-headlining the Halftime Show, with guests J Balvin and Bad Bunny.
