Jay-Z Is Back in the Spotlight After Dame Dash Criticism and Taylor Swift Super Bowl Comments
In 2025, Jay-Z continues to solidify his influence across music, business, and sports. His company, Roc Nation, remains a powerhouse in artist management and sports representation. And his ventures, like the 40/40 Club, are undergoing revitalization. Additionally, Jay-Z’s involvement in the NFL’s Super Bowl halftime show through Roc Nation has kept him at the forefront of entertainment headlines. Recently, Taylor Swift addressed rumors about declining a Super Bowl performance offer, clarifying that she and Jay-Z are on great terms. Unfortunately, not everyone has great remarks to say about Hov. Here’s what’s going on.
Taylor Swift clarified that Jay-Z has always been ‘good’ to her while discussing the 2026 Super Bowl
In 2025, Taylor Swift addressed rumors about declining a Super Bowl halftime performance offer. Swift explained that while her team had been approached informally about the 2026 Super Bowl halftime show, there had been no official offer. She also expressed her commitment to supporting her fiancé, NFL star Travis Kelce, during the football season, noting that she is “too locked in” on his games to focus on preparing for such a major performance. Additionally, the star emphasized her strong relationship with Jay-Z and Roc Nation while talking to Jimmy Fallon on The Tonight Show.
“Jay-Z has always been very good to me,” Swift noted. “Our teams are really close. They sometimes will call and say, ‘How does she feel about [this]?’ That’s not an official offer. … We’re always able to tell him the truth, which is that I am in love with a guy who does that sport on that actual field. That is violent chess; that is gladiators without swords. That is dangerous. The whole season, I am locked in on what that man is doing on the field.”
Damon Dash calls his former business partner ‘cold’
While Taylor Swift sang Jay-Z’s praises, Damon Dash had a completely different opinion of Jay-Z in 2025. Dash and Jay-Z’s partnership began in the mid-’90s with the founding of Roc-A-Fella Records, a label that revolutionized the hip-hop industry. Their close relationship was built on shared ambition and a mutual desire to break into mainstream success.
However, by the early 2000s, tensions began to surface. Reports suggest that disagreements over business strategies, including Dash’s expansion and Jay-Z’s more measured approach, led to friction between the two. In 2004, the situation escalated when Island Def Jam acquired Roc-A-Fella, and Jay-Z was appointed president of Def Jam, effectively sidelining Dash.
According to Complex, Dash called out Jay-Z while speaking on Cam Capone News. Dash said Jay-Z doesn’t look out for other people. He also commented on Memphis Bleek’s recent remarks regarding how Jay-Z doesn’t provide financial assistance to his inner circle.
“Homeboy is cold. He doesn’t look out for nobody,” Dash said of his former business partner. “Bleek is still so loyal ’cause he understands he still gets a lot of opportunities from him. He just not going to enable him. So, I respect that.”
Will fans get new music from Jay-Z in 2025?
In September 2025, Jay-Z fans were hopeful that they’d get new music in 2025 after Cash Cobain made an incredible announcement.
“I heard Jay-Z about to drop some s***. That’s what I heard,” Cash said on Billboard Unfiltered Live. “That’s about to shake the world.”
Unfortunately, Cash walked back his statement. The rapper stated on X that after talking to Jay-Z on the phone, he can confirm that Jay-Z doesn’t have any new music in the works.
“When I was on the phone with Hov, he said that he is absolutely not dropping an album,” Cash posted with six laughing-crying emojis. “That messed me up tho.”
While artists continue to mention Jay-Z, it seems only time will tell whether he drops new music.
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