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JAY-Z, the already multi-hyphenated rapper, has added another milestone to his long list of accomplishments.
The Brooklynite is now close to becoming a professor as he’s teamed up with Columbia University for a new lecture series spotlighting African American culture. The University’s African American and African Diaspora Studies (AAADS) Department kicked off the series Thursday (February 4) in an exclusive talk with students and Jelani Cobb, Columbia’s Ira A. Lipman Professor Of Journalism.
It started with Cobb asking JAY what he hopes to accomplish with the series, and him responding, “We can all dazzle each other with language,” he said. But we need to “get down to the honesty of what’s happening.”
According to Columbia, the series will “spotlight public intellectuals, artists, musicians, dancers, writers, and activists, as well as scholars and other noteworthy people who have made a major contribution to our understanding of African American and African Diaspora Studies.”
Aside from waxing poetic about the culture, Hov was, of course, asked about the decision he and Beyoncé made when they sat down while Demi Lovato sang the National Anthem at Sunday’s Super Bowl LIV. The professor asked if he stayed in his seat to “convey a signal,” and surprisingly enough Jay quickly replied, “It actually wasn’t. Sorry.”
He went on to explain that he was concerned with the show because Roc Nation is now producing all of the entertainment at the Super Bowls as part of the deal he struck with the NFL last year, and not protesting.
As Beyoncé watched the Lovato performance begin she turned to her husband and mentioned that, as someone who’s also performed at the big game, she could only imagine was she was going through.
