Nessa Diab Accuses Roc Nation of Smearing Kaepernick and Nicki Minaj
Media personality Nessa Diab has reignited controversy over Jay-Z’s Roc Nation and its dealings with the NFL—this time adding rapper Nicki Minaj to the mix. In a series of posts on social media, Diab accused the entertainment agency and its CEO, Desiree Perez, of using underhanded tactics to silence and discredit public figures, including her longtime partner, civil rights advocate and former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick.
Text “RICKEY” to 71007 to join the Rickey Smiley Morning Show mobile club for exclusive news. (Terms and conditions).
Diab claimed that what Minaj is currently going through mirrors what happened to Kaepernick years ago, when he was blackballed from the NFL for kneeling during the national anthem to protest police brutality. According to her, Roc Nation didn’t just turn its back on Kaepernick—they allegedly helped the NFL repair its image while leaving him in the dust.
“@NICKIMINAJ exposing the smear campaign tactics that Jay Z, Roc Nation, Desiree Perez did to her behind the scenes is VERY similar to what I was told they did to @Kaepernick7,” Nessa wrote online. She accused Jay-Z of aligning with the NFL as part of a calculated image clean-up deal.
One of her more explosive claims? That Roc Nation accepted $5 million a year—totaling $25 million—from the NFL over five years to help “move beyond” the backlash the league faced for not signing Kaepernick.
LIKE US ON FACEBOOK. FOLLOW US ON TWITTER AND INSTAGRAM. SUBSCRIBE TO OUR YOUTUBE.
Diab pointed to a quote from Roc Nation CEO Desiree Perez where she said the conversation had shifted “to fighting for it versus boycotting.” Nessa believes that shift allowed the league to sidestep true accountability and reframe the protest movement into a corporate campaign that ultimately benefited the NFL’s image, not the cause.
She also brought up Perez’s past criminal record and her 2021 pardon from then-President Donald Trump, noting how close many NFL owners were to Trump politically and financially. For Nessa, the connections run deeper than just business.
“I called them all out YEARS ago,” she said, adding that while many people told her privately they agreed, few were willing to speak publicly.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD OUR APP AND TAKE US WITH YOU ANYWHERE!
This isn’t the first time Diab has criticized Jay-Z and Roc Nation. Back in 2019, when the company struck its “Inspire Change” deal with the NFL, Diab made waves by publicly calling the move a betrayal of the movement her partner helped spark. Jay-Z’s remark at the time—“I think we’ve moved past kneeling”—drew widespread criticism from activists and fans who felt the message of the protest had been watered down.
Years later, Nessa still hasn’t let go of that sentiment. “I still don’t watch that league or whoever is performing at whatever game they have playing. #StillWithKap #FOREVER,” she declared.
Related Article: Colin Kaepernick Knows His Rights And Wants Everyone Else To Know Them, Too
Related Article: Spike Lee & Jemele Hill Bringing Official Colin Kaepernick Docuseries To ESPN
The tweet reignited the #StillWithKap movement online, with fans demanding renewed accountability from Roc Nation and the NFL for the handling—and alleged monetization—of Kaepernick’s protest.
Whether it’s about music or football, Diab’s message is clear: she sees a troubling pattern in how power structures handle resistance—and she’s not staying quiet about it.
HEAD BACK TO THE RICKEYSMILEYMORNINGSHOW.COM HOMEPAGE
Nessa Diab Accuses Roc Nation of Smearing Kaepernick and Nicki Minaj was originally published on rickeysmileymorningshow.com
