July 17, 2025
Nessa Diab is supporting Nicki Minaj in accusing Roc Nation of “smear campaign tactics” against the rapper and Colin Kaepernick.
Colin Kaepernick’s longtime partner, Nessa Diab, is calling out Jay-Z and Roc Nation, accusing them of blackballing Kaepernick and now Nicki Minaj, through their power in the entertainment industry.
On July 16, Diab pressed send on a lengthy tweet accusing Jay-Z and Roc Nation CEO Desiree Perez of using the same “smear campaign tactics” against Nicki Minaj that were allegedly used to silence Kaepernick after he was pushed out of the NFL for kneeling during the National Anthem in protest against police brutality and racial injustice.
Referencing Jay-Z’s $25 million multiyear deal with the NFL, finalized in 2019 while Kaepernick remained unsigned after opting out of his 49ers contract in 2017, Diab accused the mogul of deliberately co-opting Kaepernick’s protest to help the league repair its image after blackballing him.
“I called them all out YEARS ago, and so many people were scared to say it publicly, but would tell me how they agreed with me privately. Smh,” she wrote.
Diab continued, “Roc Nation apparently took $5 million a year over 5 years to bury the growing protest, AND specifically help them ‘move beyond the controversy around teams’ unwillingness to sign Kaepernick.”
Turning her focus to Perez, Diab pointed to a past quote from the Roc Nation CEO, referencing the backlash the company faced for partnering with the NFL. At the same time, many felt Kaepernick had been silenced, and the core message behind his protest was being dismissed.
“Desiree even said, ‘We love that everybody wants to be on the stage, that we’ve completely changed the conversation to fighting for it versus boycotting. We’ve come a long way,’” Diab wrote. “She got her pardon by Trump — no coincidence the NFL owners are his buddies and also donated millions to his campaign.”
Jay-Z came under fire in 2019 after partnering with the NFL and stating, “I think we’ve moved past kneeling,” about Kaepernick’s protest. He emphasized it was time for “actionable items,” adding that the deal “isn’t about Kaepernick having a job.”
While Nicki Minaj takes to Twitter with cryptic shots at Perez and unnamed targets, Diab is being more direct, defending Kaepernick and calling out what she sees as shady behind-the-scenes moves by Roc Nation.
“I still don’t watch that league or whoever is performing at whatever game they have playing. #stillwithkap #FOREVER,” she wrote.
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