Super Bowl LIV: Did Jay-Z pressure Jennifer Lopez to cut her statement on border crisis from halftime show?
The 2020 Super Bowl had many highs, and one of them was definitely the Latino representation at the show. Particularly, Jennifer Lopez's halftime performance garnered rave reviews, and not just for her showmanship — the singer's set delivered a clear message about Latino pride and the border crisis.
Jay-Z's agency Roc Nation partnered with the NFL in a highly criticized move as part of the rapper's desire to further the conversation around police brutality.
The NFL wanted the rapper on board as part of its 'Inspire Change' campaign in an attempt to move past the criticism it has received following Kaepernick's protest.
Many thought Roc Nation and Jay-Z were behind the halftime performance considering their recent partnership with NFL, Jay-Z's desire to fight against racism using larger platforms, and the fact that both JLo and Shakira are signed to Roc Nation.
However, recent reports seem to suggest otherwise.
While all might seem peachy, many from within Roc Nation are quite displeased with the direction Jay-Z is taking the agency in, and they have confirmed their discontentment by revealing the truth behind the halftime performance in conversation with Lovebscott.
Sources from within the agency claim that the idea for the halftime performance, choreographed and directed Napoleon and Tabitha Dumo, came from JLo herself.
The singer wanted to make a powerful statement regarding the current immigration policies enacted by the Trump administration.
She particularly focussed on the border crisis that has resulted in the separation of families, deportation of immigrants and refugees, racially motivated attacks on the Latino population, and the placing of innocent children in prisons that resemble "cages".
However, Roc Nation and Jay-Z allegedly tried to pressurize JLo to drop the idea, infuriating the singer who chose to drop something else instead — half her performance.
Lopez was initially set to perform along with Shakira at the beginning but apparently pulled out of that performance after being told to not make a political statement.
Shakira was also asked to stay out of Lopez's 'Born in the USA' medley, which featured her daughter, children in cages, and an American-Puerto Rican flag. Despite initially agreeing, Shakira changed her mind and participated in the segment, choosing to play the drums during the performance.
On a night that celebrated Latino culture on one of the biggest stages in the world, it makes perfect sense to call out the racism American Latinos are currently being subjected to in their own country.
And yet, despite claiming the NFL deal was meant to help fight against oppression and prejudice, Jay-Z and Roc Nation appear to have taken several steps backwards instead.
