Jay-Z's Team ROC Accuses Ad Company of 'Improper Censorship'

WAUWATOSA, WI — Lawyers for Roc Nation, an entertainment agency founded by rapper Jay-Z, are accusing an advertising company of "improper censorship" of a proposed billboard regarding a Wauwatosa police officer involved in three fatal shootings.

Roc Nation said Lamar Advertising rejected a billboard by the entertainment agency critical of Officer Joseph Mensah.

Mensah, currently suspended, was involved in the shooting deaths of Alvin Cole, Antonio Gonzales and Jay Anderson. Two of the shootings Mensah was involved in were ruled justified. The 2016 shooting of Cole is still under review by the Milwaukee County district attorney.

Team Roc, the social justice division of Roc Nation, approached Lamar Advertising in July with a request to commission a paid billboard near Wauwatosa. Following discussion, Lamar confirmed August 6 that it had the capacity and would move forward with the billboard, ROC Nation lawyer Jordan Siev told Patch.

The following sign was proposed: "Alvin Cole, Jay Anderson, Antonio Gonzales. They did not deserve to die. Officer Mensah must be held accountable."

Lamar rejected this proposed billboard Aug. 10.

"The reason given is it could have an effect on a future action," Siev said.

Appealed decision

Roc Nation appealed Lamar's decision but was turned down. Siev said Lamar’s copy acceptance policy "expressly supports advertisers’ First Amendment rights to make appropriate
statements of opinion, including for noncommercial purposes."

Siev said the proposed billboard was fully compliant with Lamar’s established policies.

"As to Lamar’s claimed objections — which do not appear anywhere in its Copy Acceptance Policy — there is no lawsuit, prosecution, or other legal action against Officer Mensah currently pending, and this billboard does not mention any," said a portion of an August 20 letter Roc Nation sent to Lamar Advertising.

Siev said Team Roc went as far as amending the proposed billboard to say, "Justice for Alvin Cole, Jay Anderson, Antonio Gonzales. They did not deserve to die. Police officers shouldn't murder innocent people."

Lamar again rejected the proposal because its objections to the first billboard had not been addressed, despite Team Roc’s edits to the copy, according to the letter.

The letter stated the only conclusion is that Lamar "is improperly censoring Roc Nation’s speech on a matter of considerable public interest."

Siev said citizens have a high level of interest in making sure police act properly. He added they are not suggesting all police across the board are acting inappropriately.

"The vast vast majority of police officers are hard-working public servants who do a fantastic job under difficult circumstances and shouldn't be painted with the same brush," he said.

However, the Mensah case is unique, as he was involved in three deaths over five years, Siev said.

He added this is not the first or last shooting involving police, noting the Kenosha officer who shot a Black man this week.

Siev told Patch that Lamar hasn't responded to the August 20 letter or provided a counterproposal as to how the billboard should read.

Lamar Advertising Communications Director Allie McAlpin wrote an emailed response to Patch.

"The billboard copy from Team ROC was vetted through our usual copy acceptance process and rejected on the basis that we do not post copy concerning potential crimes, unless there has been a judicial determination of guilt. Team ROC is welcome to resubmit amended copy that complies with our policies."

WISN 12 reported that several members of the Common Council of Milwaukee, which is next to Wauwatosa, spoke out against Lamar Advertising's decision.

"With Milwaukee playing a prominent role in peaceful protests featuring people from all backgrounds and races, calling for justice for George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, as well as for dozens of other Black and brown people who have been killed by police officers, it is highly disturbing to learn that a local billboard advertiser has rejected socially important ads relevant to the Black Lives Matter movement," according to a joint statement from council members Khalif Rainey, Milele Coggs, Chantia Lewis, Russell Stamper, Cavalier Johnson, Nikiya Dodd, Ashanti Hamilton, Nik Kovac and José Pérez.

Roc Nation says it is an enterprise that is "founded, owned, and managed by Americans of color, and counts among its client base many individuals who have personally experienced the excesses and biases of the American criminal justice system."