Jay-Z shared his thanks with Minnesota Governor Tim Walz on Sunday for announcing that the state’s Attorney General Keith Ellison would be taking the lead on any prosecutions related to the death of George Floyd.
The 50-year-old rapper posted a short written statement to his entertainment company Roc Nation’s Instagram pages after he spoke with Walz on the phone.
He urged Ellison to prosecute all the officer involved in Floyd’s death, not just the officer who pressed his knee into his neck for nearly nine minutes.
‘Do the right thing’: Jay-Z, 50, urged the prosecution of all police officers involved in the death of George Floyd in an Instagram statement on Sunday; pictured with Michael B. Jordan (L) in March in LA
Jay-Z began his statement thanking Walz for replacing Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman, who previously announced that Ellison would only ‘assist’ him in the prosecutions.
‘After our very earnest conversation, thank you to Governor Walz for doing what’s right and calling in Attorney General Keith Ellison to take over the George Floyd case,’ the statement read.
Ellison’s appointment came after 10 members of the Minnesota state House who represent Minneapolis sent a letter to Walz saying their constituents had lost faith in Freeman after he delayed charging Chauvin with third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter and avoided charging the other officers.
‘Earlier today, Governor Walz mentioned having a human conversation with me — a dad and a black man in pain. Yes, I am human, a father and a black man in pain and I am not the only one.’
Good start: Jay-Z began his statement thanking Walz for replacing Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman, who previously announced that Ellison would only ‘assist’ him in the prosecutions
Heart-to-heart: ‘Earlier today, Governor Walz mentioned having a human conversation with me — a dad and a black man in pain. Yes, I am human, a father and a black man in pain and I am not the only one,’ Jay-Z wrote; Walz pictured on Wednesday
Taking the lead: Attorney General Ellison was appointed after Jay-Z’s call and a letter from 10 state House members saying their constituents had lost faith in the prosecutor; shown on Wednesday
The rapper then urged Ellison to prosecute the other officers involved Floyd’s death who didn’t stop officer Derek Chauvin from suffocating him.
‘This is just a first step,’ he wrote. ‘I am more determined to fight for justice than any fight my would-be oppressors may have.’
He ended the statement by urging politicians and law enforcement officers to ‘do what is right.’
‘Have the courage to look at us as humans, dads, brothers, sisters and mothers in pain and look at yourselves,’ he concluded.
Family man: ‘Have the courage to look at us as humans, dads, brothers, sisters and mothers in pain and look at yourselves,’ he concluded; pictured with his daughter Blue Ivy Carter in March
Key text: His use of the phrase ‘do the right thing’ may have been a reference to Spike Lee’s iconic 1989 film about a Brooklyn community torn asunder by racial tensions after police officers choke a black man to death
Jay-Z’s use of the phrase ‘do the right thing’ may have been a reference to Spike Lee’s iconic 1989 film about a Brooklyn community torn asunder by racial tensions after police officers choke a black man to death.
The film climaxes with the main character, played by Lee, throwing a trash can through the window of a pizzeria owned by Italian–Americans who initially called the police on the murdered man, before others destroy it and set it ablaze.
On Saturday, Carter’s wife Beyoncé took to Instagram with a short video about Floyd’s killing.
‘We need justice for George Floyd,’ she said. ‘We all witnessed his murder in broad daylight. We’re broken and we’re disgusted. We cannot normalize this pain.’
Taking action: On Saturday, Carter’s wife Beyoncé took to Instagram with a short video about Floyd’s killing. ‘We need justice for George Floyd,’ she said
Bigger platform: Last year, Jay partnered with the NFL to create a social justice initiative; pictured with Yo Gotti (L) in 2017
Jay-Z has long been passionate about anti-racist and anti–police brutality causes.
Last year, he and his entertainment company Roc Nation entered a partnership with the NFL to create a social justice partnership, while also allowing him to advise on the musical acts chosen for the Super Bowl.
The initiative has three planks: ‘education and economic advancement; police and community relations; and criminal justice reform,’ the NFL announced at the time.
However, the rapper was criticized by some who saw the partnership as an ultimately meaningless way to line his pockets that sidelined the protests against racism and police violence started by quarterback Colin Kaepernick.
Mixed bag: The initiative was criticized by some who said it devalued protests by Colin Kaepernick against racism and police brutality; pictured in 2016