Former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick appears to have called out rapper Jay-Z, referencing a statement in which the artist declared that “we’ve moved past kneeling” when it comes to NFL player protests during the national anthem. The move follows a controversial move from Jay-Z, where his entertainment and sports company Roc Nation announced a partnership with the NFL, to a decidedly mixed response. 

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Last week at a joint news conference with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, Jay-Z told reporters that “I think we’ve moved past kneeling and I think it’s time to go into actionable items.” The comments were made in reference to his new collaboration involving music and social activism. 

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After this statement caused a stir on social media, however, Kaepernick appeared to issue his own response.

Colin Kaepernick says he's been 'denied work for 889 days' and still wants to play in the NFL:

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Seeming to echo Jay-Z’s choice of language, Kaepernick tweeted, “My Brothers @E_Reid35 @KSTiLLS @iThinkIsee12 continue to fight for the people, even in the face of death threats. They have never moved past the people and continue to put their beliefs into action,” in reference to the continued protests of fellow pros Eric Reid, Kenny Stills and Albert Wilson.

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While Kaepernick himself has so far avoided explicitly mentioning Jay-Z by name, Eric Reid was not so subtle. In a tweet sent last week, Reid attacked the rapper, writing, “Jay-Z knowingly made a money move with the very people who’ve committed an injustice against Colin and is using social justice to smooth it over with the black community.”

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This weekend, Reid took things further still, telling reporters, “When has Jay-Z ever taken a knee to tell us we’re past kneeling? Yes, he’s done a lot of great work. A lot of great social justice work. But for you to get paid to go into an NFL press conference and say that we’re past kneeling? Again, asinine.”

There has as yet been no formal response on the criticism from Jay-Z or Roc Nation.

In 2016, NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick decided to make a public statement about how he felt about his country, but rather than use his words, he used a simple action to make his point. In protest against the racial profiling and police brutality that African-Americans face in the United States, he kneeled during the national anthem.

The response was immediate and powerful. There were many who believed that this peaceful protest was an interesting method to draw the public's attention to the people of colour who have been abused and even killed by authorities, often while unarmed and surrendering to arrest. But not everyone felt this way; others were critical of Kaepernick's protest, believing that it was un-American to refuse to sing and salute during The Star Spangled Banner, claiming that it was an insult to his country and the veterans who had served it.

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Speaking to the media about his protest, Kaepernick said:

"I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of colour.

"To me, this is bigger than football and it would be selfish on my part to look the other way. There are bodies in the street and people getting paid leave and getting away with murder."

Since 2017, Kaepernick has been without a team, with some stating that he has been 'black-balled' from the NFL for his actions. However, there are some institutions still standing by him, including Nike - who have now revealed the quarterback as the face of a new advertising campaign.

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Gino Fisanotti, vice president of Nike's brand for North America, described Kaepernick as "one of the most inspirational athletes of this generation", telling ESPN that he "has leveraged the power of sport to help move the world forward".

Merely hours after this campaign was revealed, along with the words "Believe in something. Even if it means sacrificing everything", Kaepernick's critics have taken their rage out on Nike. And not just Nike as a company, but the Nike products they have around the house.

People were destroying their trainers, cutting up socks and burning their Nike gear.

"First the NFL forces me to choose between my favorite sport and my country," Twitter user Sean Clancy wrote alongside a video of a pair of Nike trainers ablaze. "I chose country. Then Nike forces me to choose between my favorite shoes and my country."

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However, once these photos and videos went viral, they didn't necessarily have the desired effect.

Many other Twitter users came out in full force to poke fun at their protests, and point out that destroying your own property isn't really an effective means of boycotting a company.

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This isn't the only reason that Kaepernick has been back in the headlines recently. Ted Cruz's main opponent in the senate race, Beto O'Rourke, had a powerful response to NFL players taking a knee during the national anthem.

Yesterday, Nike's advertising deal with NFL star Colin Kaepernick caused a worldwide internet frenzy.

On Twitter, fans of the quarterback came forward to express their happiness about having someone so inspiring representing the brand; meanwhile, those who oppose his commitment to kneeling during the national anthem in order to protest police brutality against African-Americans took direct action against the sportswear giant... by burning products they had already purchased.

To many, it seemed like a very impractical way of taking a stand against the brand - but that didn't stop hundreds of social media users posting videos of themselves setting their own property alight.

"First the @NFL forces me to choose between my favorite sport and my country. I chose country. Then @Nike forces me to choose between my favorite shoes and my country. Since when did the American Flag and the National Anthem become offensive?" wrote one person.

"@Nike Due to your support of C.K. in your coming adds, I as an American can no longer support your company. #boycottNike #IStandForOurFlag," said another.

And now Donald Trump has said his part.

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The president has famously spoken out against certain NFL players' decisions to kneel before games before, and, in a 2017 rally for Republican senator Luther Strange, had this to say about protesters of racism:

"Wouldn’t you love to see one of these NFL owners, when somebody disrespects our flag, to say, ‘Get that son of a b*tch off the field right now. Out! He’s fired. He’s fired!’"

Needless to say, then, it was already known that Trump objects to NFL players exercising their right to free speech on the football field, and so it didn't come as much surprise when he issued a further statement yesterday lambasting Nike for their decision to support Kaepernick.

"I think it’s a terrible message," the president said in an interview with the Daily Caller yesterday afternoon. He then added: "Nike is a tenant of mine. They pay a lot of rent."

Trump has also consistently refused to acknowledge that the act of kneeling before the flag is not one of disrespect, but one that is symbolic of the struggles and inequalities followed by people of colour in the USA today.

"The issue of kneeling has nothing to do with race," he tweeted last year. "It is about respect for our Country, Flag and National Anthem. NFL must respect this!"

The president also added yesterday that "there’s no reason" for Nike to have chosen Kaepernick specifically for the campaign.

"I think it’s a terrible message that they’re sending and the purpose of them doing it, maybe there’s a reason for them doing it," he said, "but I think as far as sending a message, I think it’s a terrible message and a message that shouldn’t be sent. There’s no reason for it."

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Regardless of Trump's dislike for the campaign, however, Nike has achieved what it set out to do in choosing Kaepernick as the face of their brand. Like him, they wanted to show that they were willing to take a risk in order to demonstrate what they believed in - and having the president comment on their campaign certainly proves it worked.

In 2016, NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick risked his job to start a movement. Before football games, he took a knee during the national anthem to protest racial inequality and police brutality. It was a peaceful way to protest the many shocking cases of white police officers killing unarmed black civilians. In many cases, these horrific acts were captured on video, and the officers were not prosecuted or convicted for excessive use of force.

This movement sparked anger from critics, who believe taking a knee during the national anthem somehow disrespects the American flag and insults the military. One of the loudest critics, President Donald Trump, referred to the protesters as "sons of bitches" and even called for them to be fired from the NFL. Evidently, the owners were listening. Since 2017, Kaepernick has been without a team, reportedly blackballed for having the audacity to participate in a peaceful protest.

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This week Nike announced Kaepernick will become the face of their new advertising campaign. As you might expect, the critics were outraged, calling for a boycott and burning their Nike products in retaliation. It is unclear how burning expensive products you purchased is an effective protest, but hey, at least they remembered to take their shoes off first.

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In an interview, President Trump said he disapproved of Nike's new campaign. "I think it’s a terrible message that they're sending and the purpose of them doing it, maybe there’s a reason for them doing it, but I think as far as sending a message, I think it’s a terrible message and a message that shouldn’t be sent. There’s no reason for it." (As previously stated, the "reason" is to protest racial inequality and police brutality.)

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Earlier today, Nike released a full commercial starring Colin Kaepernick that makes a powerful statement. The two-minute ad features professional athletes, like Serena Williams and LeBron James, plus inspiring amateur athletes, like a football-playing homecoming queen and an Ironman participant who recovered from a brain tumor. There is no footage of NFL players taking a knee, but many phrases allude to the protest.

"People say your dreams are crazy, if they laugh at what you think you can do, good. Stay that way. Because what non-believers fail to understand is that calling a dream crazy is not an insult, it’s a compliment...

"Don’t try to be the fastest runner in your school, or the fastest in the world. Be the fastest, ever... Don’t settle for homecoming queen or linebacker; do both. Lose 120 pounds and become an IronMan, after beating a brain tumor. Don’t believe you have to be like anybody to be somebody."

Kaepernick provides the narration, and appears on camera, saying, "Don't ask if your dreams are crazy. Ask if they're crazy enough." And it all ends with the words, "It's only crazy until you do it. Just do it." Well, Diddy hasn't hired Kaep yet, but at least he got a gig.

The commercial is reportedly scheduled to play during the NFL opener on Thursday night.