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Jermaine Dupri Says Jay-Z Did Not Tell Him To Turn Down NFL Deal, Contrary To Funk Flex’s Statement

The hip-hop mogul broke down what really happened behind the scenes.

Earlier this week, veteran radio host Funkmaster Flex stirred up even more controversy regarding Jay-Z’s NFL deal after he came to So So Def mogul Jermaine Dupri’s defense.

  • Producer Bryan-Michael Cox alleged that Jermaine was close to inking a deal with the football league but pulled out of negotiations after the Roc Nation honcho advised him against it. Flex whipped social media into a frenzy when he co-signed Cox’s statement, tweeting that he had confirmed the allegations with JD himself.

    “I just got off the phone with Jermaine Dupri,” Flex penned in all caps. “He confirmed that when he was working with the NFL last year he did get a call from Jay-Z asking him…’How deep are you in with the NFL?’ expressing …’That might not be a good idea.’”

  • As the ensuing drama unfolded across social media, Jermaine stayed silent, finally breaking his silence on Wednesday (Aug. 21) as the rumors spun out of control. The music producer sat down with radio host Big Tigger on Atlanta’s V103 radio show, where he dispelled Flex’s assertion that Hov advised him to turn down the deal and clarified a few more things. JD said that he did speak with Hov about working with the NFL but was never pressured into turning down the deal. 

    "He and I never had a conversation where he told me, 'Don't do what you're doing.' What our conversation was... 'You know what side I'm on, I understand what you're doing.' That's what the conversation was," Dupri explained.

  • The 46-year-old Atlanta native then detailed the actual reason he ultimately passed on working with the NFL. Jermaine set the record straight that the deal he had on the table was a partnership for a series of free shows in Atlanta's Centennial Olympic Park in the lead-up to Super Bowl LIII. He pulled out of negotiations after he caught heat from locals over his involvement. 

    “People was dogging me out [and] tearing my name apart for throwing concerts in Centennial Park," he said. "People around here were going ape on me. I kept having to reiterate the fact that, ‘Guys, I’m not doing Super Bowl, I’m doing shows in Centennial Olympic Park.’ And people just kept, ‘No, you’re involved with the NFL ‘cause it’s an NFL sanctioned thing.’”

  • Shortly after Jermaine’s interview aired, Funk Flex defended himself against JD’s claims that the context of his conversation with Jay had been mischaracterized. Baller Alert re-shared the comment from Flex, and he's standing by his words.

    “I love you Jermaine for life,” the radio host began before delivering his rebuttal. ”Roc Nation applying that pressure for you to backpedal! (Body language is everything) It’s Wednesday bruh? This happened Monday. I finally understand what Kap [and] Nessa been experiencing,” Flex signed off with his final comments on the matter.

    See Flex's reaction to Jermaine Dupri's version of the story in full below.

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