Jermaine Dupri Denies Claims That Jay Z Told Him Not To Take NFL Deal

Oh, what a tangled web we weave when we speak up on someone else’s behalf. Over the last few days, Jermaine Dupri has remained silent as his name has been brought up in regards to Jay Z’s recent Roc Nation partnership with the NFL. It was alleged that at some point last year, Dupri was involved with inking a deal with the league but decided not to because Jay, his longtime friend, advised him against it.

Funk Flex tweeted confirmation of the news by writing, “I JUST GOT OFF THE PHONE WITH JERMAINE DUPRI. HE CONFIRMED THAT WHEN HE WAS WORKING WITH THE NFL LAST YEAR HE DID GET A CALL FROM JAYZ ASKING HIM ‘HOW DEEP ARE U IN WITH THE NFL?’ EXPRESSING… ‘THAT MIGHT NOT BE A GOOD IDEA.'” 

Producer Brian Michael Cox seemed to co-sign Flex. “I’m not saying that it can’t turn into some good sh*t,” Cox said of Jay’s deal. “We’re also talking about a guy who single-handedly picked up the phone and called Jermaine to tell him not to do it […] When we all had that meeting with the NFL, all that sh*t was part of the same sh*t.”

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However, during a visit to Atlanta radio station V-103, Dupri wanted to clarify a few things. “I want to make sure that everybody understands that,” he said. “And today, on the Big Tigger Show, I’m speaking and letting people know. He and I never had a conversation where he told me don’t do what you’re doing. What our conversation was was that, you know what side I’m on. I understand what you’re doing. That’s what the conversation was.”

“Like I said, even when I was doing my press, I kept having to reiterate the fact that, guys, I’m not doing Super Bowl,” Dupri added, saying that the he was looking into putting on event in the park, not producing a Super Bowl show. “I’m doing shows in Centennial Olympic Park. And people just kept like, ‘No, you’re involved with the NFL,’ ’cause it’s an NFL sanctioned thing.” Check out the full interview below.