has arrived and Miami is currently flooded with some the  collecting bags and partaking Super Bowl festivities. One those artists just so happens to be the biggest name in music, , who  last year to curate the NFL’s musical entertainment segments and to closely work with the association’s Inspire Change initiative. This past Saturday (Feb. 1), The New York Times published an interview where Hov discussed a wide array topics from . 

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During the interview, the topic Jay Z turning down the NFL’s fer to perform during Super Bowl LII halftime show arose. The NFL requested that Jay Z perform one record in particular, “Run This Town” featuring his Roc Nation artist and former collaborator, . When asked if he would have complied with the NFL’s wishes, the  performer stated:

“Of course I would have, but I said, ‘No, you get me.’ That is not how you go about it, telling someone that they’re going to do the halftime show contingent on who they bring. I said forget it. It was a principle thing.”

When news originally broke that Jay Z would be turning down the 2018 Super Bowl halftime show, critics and fans alike speculated that it was because his . However, that wasn’t the case, Jay Z wanted his performance to be a solo set, resulting in getting called for the gig as Super Bowl LII’s headlining halftime entertainment act. 

While many people have been frustrated with Jay Z’s affiliation with the NFL, Hov’s partnership with , Robert Kraft, and Michael Rubin to create the REFORM Alliance social justice initiative  within the justice system. Hopefully, more and Jay Z’s relationship with the league can turn out to be both fruitful and socially beneficial for all parties involved.