Kid Rock is trending online after suggesting that Jay-Z’s role in selecting Super Bowl halftime performers was tied to diversity initiatives.
Speaking with Laura Ingraham on Fox News, Kid Rock weighed in on the competing halftime events that aired during Super Bowl Sunday.
“Nothing against Jay-Z,” he said. “I respect him for his hustle and his music, but it seems like there’s a little bit of a DEI hire there going on.”
Kid Rock argued that the NFL was attempting to appeal to a broader audience by partnering with Jay-Z and Roc Nation, which have overseen halftime show selections since 2019.
Kid Rock calls Jay-Z a DEI hire.
— Kaivan Shroff (@KaivanShroff) February 10, 2026
The levels of delusional. Wow.
But it’s actually a great example of what MAGA means when they complain about DEI hires. It’s someone like Kid Rock thinking they deserve someone like Jay-Z’s success. pic.twitter.com/fH37crWbMh
“They wanted more Black male viewers,” he said, adding that Jay-Z’s popularity made him a logical choice in the league’s eyes.
The comments came shortly after Kid Rock performed at Turning Point USA’s alternative halftime event, which streamed online as Bad Bunny took the stage during the official NFL broadcast. Kid Rock’s set included a tribute to the late Charlie Kirk and drew a fraction of the audience that tuned in for the Super Bowl halftime show.
According to CBS News, more than 135 million viewers watched Bad Bunny’s performance, while the Turning Point event attracted about 6.1 million concurrent viewers.
Jay-Z is yet to respond.