'I'm Already Rich': Jay-Z Scoffs At the Idea That He's a Sellout Because of His NFL Partnership

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Jay-Z attends Michael Rubin’s Fanatics Super Bowl Party on February 01, 2020 in Miami Beach, Florida.
Jay-Z attends Michael Rubin’s Fanatics Super Bowl Party on February 01, 2020 in Miami Beach, Florida.
Photo: Mike Coppola (Getty Images for Fanatics)

If it’s really “chess, not checkers,” that chess board is not just the regular chess board, but an expensive limited edition.

Jay-Z’s previous line in “Nice” by The Carters has constantly come back to bite him ever since he shook hands with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, sealing a partnership between the professional football league and Jay-Z’s Roc Nation.

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“I said no to the Super Bowl, you need me, I don’t need you / Every night we in the endzone, tell the NFL we in stadiums too,” the rapper once spit. However, folks called out his hypocrisy and of course, the word “sellout” was attached to the veteran artist.

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As part of the relationship with the NFL, Jay-Z oversees the league’s significant music events, including the halftime show.

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In the opulent spirit of capitalist clapbacks, Jay-Z proved he constantly has his ear to the streets (like any formidable rapper) and directly addressed all of the buzz about his recent NFL partnership through his bars.

Featured in Jay Electronica’s debut album, A Written Testimony in a Watch The Throne-esque capacity, Jay-Z spits on the track, “Flux Capacitor,” which samples “Get the Gat” by Lil Elt & “Higher” by Rihanna.

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He raps, “Why would I sell out? I’m already rich, don’t make no sense / Got more money than Goodell, a whole NFL bench / Did it one-handed like Odell, handcuffed to a jail / I would’ve stayed on the sideline if they could’ve tackled that shit themselves.”

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In fact, Jay-Z had previously assured us that his decision to partner with the juggernaut football franchise had nothing to do with money.

“We didn’t say, ‘Let’s go make some money off the NFL,” the 50-year-old rapper told the New York Times in a February interview.

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Overall, fans are simply glad to see the “Old Jay-Z” back in the game.

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“You backstabbers gon’ turn me back to the old Jay / He’s not who you wanna see, he’s not as sweet as the old Ye,” Jay-Z spits.