Former NFL player Colin Kaepernick is opening up about the candid conversation he had with JAŸ-Z following news of Roc Nation’s partnership with the NFL in 2019.

Ahead of the release of his new book, The Perilous Fight, Kap sat down with NBC News‘ Lester Holt where he opened up about his long-standing issues with Hov that began with the NFL deal. According to NBC News, Kaepernick discusses the Brooklyn native in the book, noting that he didn’t learn about the NFL deal until after it was done, despite talking to Hov often. It was then he says he told JAŸ, “I just want you to know, one, you’re serving the culture up to a bunch of racists and, two, they don’t care about you. You’re the music guy to them. They quite literally need a Black face—and have said as much.”

The former NFL star explained to Holt that JAŸ’s decision to partner with the league was particularly significant given the NFL’s treatment of Kap following his protests.

“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,” Kap said. “I understand why he’s trying to do reputational recovery. I get it. I don’t agree with the actions, but I’m also not gonna respond to everything that’s said about me, because I also believe the actions and the work that I do will speak for themselves.”

During his freestyle at one of his Yankee Stadium shows in July, Hov mentioned Kaepernick by name, rapping, “They run out of characters, had to bring back up Kap again/Buddy took a check, I ain’t even mad at him/But along with that check you have to sign a non-disparagement.”

Kaepernick clarified to Holt that he did not, in fact, sign a non-disparagement. He also added that he feels the mention just speaks to a “guilty conscience” over partnering with organizations like the NFL and more recently, Target.

“First and foremost, what it speaks to is power of people,” Kaepernick told Holt. “The backlash that [JAŸ] 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 continued: “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.”

The full interview will be released on Sept. 7. The Perilous Fight hits stores on Sept. 15.

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