Seven years later, the beef between Colin Kaepernick and Jay-Z just went nuclear — and this time, the former 49ers QB is calling out the billionaire rap mogul’s alleged guilt for making corporate moves the culture originally rejected.
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. The spark? In July, Jay-Z took aim at Kaepernick, mentioning him and his settlement with the NFL in an impromptu rap during a series of concerts at Yankee Stadium. During one of his “Jay-Z 30” anniversary shows, Hov fired off a freestyle that included a direct diss, rapping about how Kaepernick “took a check” but “had to sign a non-disparagement.” The problem? It’s not true.
Colin did not sign a non-disparagement agreement when he settled the lawsuit in which he’d claimed NFL teams were colluding to keep him out of the league. According to TMZ Sports, citing sources with direct knowledge of the agreement, Kaepernick did not sign a non-disparagement clause as part of the settlement. The outlet reported that no provision prohibited Kaepernick from criticizing the NFL, pointing to his continued public comments about the league and his unemployment as evidence he was never contractually barred from speaking out. That’s a straight-up factual error from Jay-Z — one that Kaepernick is now calling out in an NBC News interview.
Here’s where it gets cultural: Jay-Z said, referring to people who have criticized him for a recent partnership with Target. The Target deal is the real issue. Earlier this summer, Colin Kaepernick found himself in the middle of public discourse after Jay-Z notably referenced him in a freestyle addressing the backlash he received for selling anniversary copies of his album “Reasonable Doubt” at Target. Meanwhile, Kaepernick is walking the walk. A representative from his team confirmed that Kaepernick will not be selling his upcoming memoir, “The Perilous Fight,” at Target retailers. In fact, the former quarterback has partnered with the National Association of Black Bookstores for his book tour, which will work with Black-owned bookstores across the country to source books.
But the real issue Kaepernick is laying out goes deeper. “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.”
This goes back to one of hip-hop’s biggest controversies. In 2019, the NFL entered into a long-term partnership with Jay-Z’s Roc Nation company in which it will help the league choose artists to perform at games and bring attention to social justice issues. When that deal dropped, the culture was split. Kaepernick had just settled his collusion lawsuit after getting blackballed from the league. Jay-Z’s move felt like a betrayal to many — especially Colin Kaepernick’s longtime girlfriend Nessa Diab, who slammed the partnership with the NFL, saying he was working with an organization that had blackballed Kaepernick. “I don’t mind you doing a business deal — but I do mind you wrapping it in social justice when you’re working with an organization that denies someone an opportunity,” she said on Hot 97 radio station.
Now, Kaepernick is pointing out that seven years later, Jay-Z is still bringing up Kaepernick in freestyles — still defending Target, still justifying the NFL move, still explaining himself. 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.
What makes this moment significant is that the conversation isn’t just about two celebrities beefing. It’s about accountability in the culture. Kaepernick stayed true — he’s not selling his memoir at Target, he’s supporting Black-owned bookstores, he’s still standing on principle. Jay-Z moved the needle toward corporate partnerships and called it progress. The fact that he’s still having to justify it in 2026 tells you something.
The 16BARS take: Jay-Z built an empire on knowing when to move, but Kaepernick’s watching him explain those moves seven years later — and that defensiveness? That’s the guilty conscience talking.
