Jermaine Dupri was one of the first Black artists to agree to work with the NFL on this year’s Super Bowl. Several other stars, including Cardi B and JAY-Z, refused out of support for former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick and his choice to protest police brutality by taking a knee during the national anthem when he was an active player.
Dupri has since been called a “sellout” for taking the gig, but he hopes to show his heart is in the right place by providing a platform to discuss police brutality, reports Billboard.
“I met with the families and parents who have been killed and murdered by police officers here,” the 46-year-old producer said. “I plan on having them come to my Super Bowl Live event and speak to the crowd and tell their story about police brutality in the city and let people understand that I’m supporting them as much as possible.”
He went on, “I want to bring awareness to the situation, and let people to know that we’re not out here partying and not caring about their situation.”
Back in October, Dupri told TMZ he believes boycotts don't work and that artists should take advantage of the platforms they are presented with rather than ignore the NFL altogether.
“Boycotts and marches don’t seem like they work to me, I’m sorry. I think they should send a message while they’re onstage, take advantage of your platform," the Grammy Award winner (and 13-time nominee) said.
He went on, "The more people speak on it, the more they talk about it, then the more people feel like it’s something they have to address. I feel like people ignore boycotts.”
Check out the video below.
