Events

[HIP HOP] The video for “Apeshit,” the latest single from Everything is Love, the new album from Beyoncé and Jay-Z—which was released under their new alias, THE CARTERS—features a scene in which a group of black men in hoodies and leather jackets kneel as the camera zooms in. As this happens on screen at the mid point of the video, Jay-Z raps in his first verse: “I said no to the Super Bowl. You need me, I don’t need you.” Which creates an odd and compelling dynamic as he and his wife, Beyoncé, continue their massive summer tour of NFL stadiums, dubbed On the Run II. Beyoncé, of course, did play a Super Bowl half time show, in 2013, three years before former San Francisco 49er’s quarterback Colin Kaepernick began his famous kneeling protest, which is alluded to in the “Apeshit” video. That year, Kaepernick came to Buffalo to play at New Era Field, where his team lost to the Bills. Kap was not greeted warmly at the Cap. In fact, he said that Buffalo was one of the harshest and least welcoming cities to him. Of course, The Carters’ appearance this Saturday, August 18 at the New Era Field will be much more welcomed by fans in Buffalo—who will be paying between $46 and $800 for tickets to go apeshit as the billionaire power couple play upwards of 50 songs from their massive twin discographies that include mega hits like “Big Pimpin” and “Crazy in Love,”—despite their approval of the NFL protests.