In a press conference today, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz said he received a call last night from JAY-Z regarding George Floyd to amplify protesters’ demand that all officers involved in his murder face justice. JAY-Z later issued a statement about the call via Roc Nation’s official twitter account. In his statement, JAY-Z thanked Governor Walz for bringing Attorney General Keith Ellison in to take over the George Floyd case, and urged politicians to “do the right thing and prosecute all those responsible for the murder of George Floyd to the fullest extent of the law.” He added: “I prevail on every politician, prosecutor, and officer in the country to have the courage 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.” Find JAY-Z’s full post below.
JAY-Z also mentioned his “very earnest conversation” with Governor Walz. “Earlier today, Governor Walz mentioned having a human conversation with me—a dad and a black man in pain,” he wrote. “Yes, I am human, a father and a black man in pain and I am not the only one. This is just a first step. I am more determined to fight for justice than any fight my would-be oppressors may have.”
During his press conference, Walz claimed the rapper came to him not as an “international performer, but dad, stressing to me that justice needs to be served.”
Walz elaborated on their conversation, FOX 9 Minneapolis-St. Paul reports. “It was so incredibly human,” Walz said. “It was a dad—and I think quite honestly a black man whose visceral pain of this that he knew. His words summarized that justice needs to be served here.”
“He said he feels the compassion and the humanity of these folks who are speaking,” Walz said. “He knows the world is watching, and how Minnesota handles this is going to have an impact across the country. It’s a positive sign that someone of a stature, that has a presence like that, is focused in the moment of what Minnesotas are focused on.”
Pitchfork has reached out to JAY-Z’s representatives for more information.
This weekend, Beyoncé shared a message about Floyd on her Instagram page. “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.” Watch her post below.
This article was originally published on Sunday, May 31 at 4:12 p.m. Eastern. It was last updated on May 31 at 10:43 p.m. Eastern.