Producer Dr. Dre kneels in solidarity with Colin Kaepernick
Hip-Hop and tech mogul joins the growing number of influencers that are supporting the former NFL player
Producer Dr. Dre recently posted a photo kneeling next to Colin Kaepernick with the single statement, “Defiant,” as the caption.
The act is another example of the Hip-Hop community standing in solidarity with the former NFL player.
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According to Yahoo Sports, Dr. Dre and Kaepernick’s relationship can be traced back to when former 49ers quarterback signed a deal with Beats by Dre in 2013.
Kaepernick began kneeling during the national anthem in 2016 to protest police brutality in America. Kap did this while playing for the San Francisco 49ers. Since his demonstration, many people and public officials have made comments on his methods.
The continued opposition gives more context to Dre’s one-word caption, “Defiant.”
This plays off of the 2017 HBO docu-series, The Defiant Ones, that focuses on the partnership and career of Dr. Dre and Jimmy Iovine.
Last year, Jay-Z told the public he felt the movement had moved passed the need to kneel. Hov said this as he and Roc Nation were in the process of inking an entertainment deal with the league.
Through a different lens, but with the same dismissive message, President Donald Trump commented on athletes kneeling.
He expressed his disdain toward players kneeling in a tweet, “…any time I witness a player kneeling during the National Anthem, a sign of great disrespect for our Country and our Flag, the game is over for me!”
The president is not the only one opposed to athletes exercising their right to protest while under contract.
In a claim, filed by Colin Kaepernick and former teammate Eric Reid, it is alleged that the two were blacklisted by the NFL because they decided to kneel during the national anthem of their games. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the parties settled out of court in 2019.
As reported by theGrio.com, an ex-NFL executive admitted that there was a systemic move to end Kaepernick’s career as a player with the league. The league’s former vice president of communications Joe Lockhart said that his controversial actions were “bad for business.”
Kap has not returned to the NFL, but he has continued to protest. Over the last few months, more professional athletes, public officials, and companies have become more vocal. Many, like Dr. Dre, have used their platforms to creatively and intentionally support the Black Lives Matter movement.
READ MORE: L.A. Chargers say they are open to workout with Colin Kaepernick
In fact, now the professional sports world is moving towards a position of justice. The NFL players launched their own campaign to stand against police-involved violence against Black people. In conjunction with The Players Alliance, the MLB crafted a demonstration to show solidarity during a time of racial unrest. Almost every player in the first two games took a knee to kickoff the 2020 season.
The women on the Seattle Storm and New York Liberty teams, walked off the court as the national anthem played during the first game of the 2020 WNBA season. These players along with NBA players such as LeBron James, and more have been vocal and are leveraging their stardom to demand justice for Breonna Taylor, and others killed by the police.
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