Jay-Z Says He, Beyonce Weren't Protesting During National Anthem at Super Bowl

Jay-Z said he was focused on work alongside his wife, Beyonce, while the United States national anthem played before Super Bowl LIV on Sunday, and confirmed their decision to remain seated during "The Star-Spangled Banner" was not a form of silent protest.

TMZ Sports provided comments the music mogul made during a Q&A session at Columbia University on Tuesday night.

"It actually wasn't," Jay-Z said when asked whether he was trying to "convey a signal" with his actions at the Super Bowl. "Sorry."

Roc Nation, the entertainment group the longtime rapper founded, is in charge of the Super Bowl entertainment, and he explained what was going through the high-profile couple's minds during the anthem, per TMZ.

"We immediately jumped into artist mode," he said. "I'm really just looking at the show. The mics start. 'Was it too low to start?'"

Jay-Z also joked off suggestions they were forcing their eight-year-old daughter, Blue Ivy, to protest.

He addressed the protests carried out in support of social justice former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick led, which the musician previously supported, when the NFL announced the Roc Nation deal in August.

"I think we've moved past kneeling, and I think it's time to go into actionable items," Jay-Z told reporters. … "No, I don't want people to stop protesting at all. Kneeling—I know we're stuck on it because it's a real thing—but kneeling is a form of protest. I support protest across the board. We need to bring light to the issue."

His actions Sunday were apparently not a reversal of that stance, but rather an artist at work.