Jay-Z once again threw his support behind protesting NFL players this weekend, interrupting his concert to address the athletes’ kneeling before games. Jay is currently on tour to promote his 4:44 album and used the opportunity to also address rumors that his tickets sales have been underwhelming. TMZ reported on Jay’s impromptu speech along with video.
“I want ya’ll to understand when people are kneeling and putting their fist up … it’s not about a flag, it’s about justice,” he said. “That’s not a black or white thing, it’s a human issue. Everybody should feel the same way. If your 16-year-old child left the house and didn’t come back, everyone should be affected… That’s a young person who lost their life senselessly.”
Jay also threw shade on critics who noted flagging sales for his tour after many primary sellers experienced a surplus of low-priced tickets ahead of some of the biggest dates on the tour.
“It’s 17,000 motherf*ckers in here tonight, what they gon’ say?” he asked before adding, “Maybe eighteen. What they gon’ say is, ‘Nobody was in here tonight,’ because they don’t want me to do this. They can’t stop me. I can’t be stopped. I’m just telling ya’ll.”
It wasn’t the first time Jay-Z used his platform to show support for NFL player protests. His appearance on Saturday Night Live was accompanied by a custom-made Colin Kaepernick number 7 jersey, proving that he is 100% in the former quarterback/activist’s corner.
The 4:44 tour runs through December 21 in Los Angeles.
