Colin Kaepernick Says Jay-Z Has 'Guilty Conscience' over Deals with NFL

Former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick said that rap icon Jay-Z has a “guilty conscience” for cutting deals with the NFL and Target.

Kaepernick shared his thoughts about the rift between him and the “Big Pimpin'” singer in an extensive interview with NBC News. His comments were in response to Jay-Z mentioning him at a concert this past July, mocking his settlement with the NFL while attacking critics of his recent deal with Target.

“They run out of characters, had to bring back up Kap again,” the rapper said regarding the backlash he received. “Buddy took a check, I ain’t even mad at him, but along with that check you gotta sign a non-disparagement. I’m the one they can’t control; y’all better be glad it’s him. Half a billion back to the community, that’s just good math for him. I don’t listen to Twitter activists; they type, and I laugh at them. It’s really no comparison; y’all check my stats again. I’m bringin’ folks back to they family, laws get passed ’cause him.”

 As noted by NBC News, the rapper prompted backlash earlier this year “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.

“First and foremost, what it speaks to is the power of people,” Kaepernick told Lester Holt. “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.”

“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,” he added.