Jay-Z Won’t Back out of His Barneys Collaboration [Updated]

“Think of the children” seems like a pretty unimpeachable defense, but damn it, people are still taking stabs at changing Jay-Z‘s mind.

Mr. Beyoncé took to his website Saturday to respond to the public outcry over his upcoming “New York Holiday” collaboration with Barneys after two black shoppers accused the department store of racial profiling. Fans started a Change.org petition urging him to call off the partnership and apparently “demonized [and] denounced” him for not immediately speaking out, according to the rap mogul’s statement.

“I move and speak based on facts and not emotion. I haven’t made any comments because I am waiting on facts and the outcome of a meeting between community leaders and Barneys … The negligent, erroneous reports and attacks on my character, intentions, and the spirit of this collaboration have forced me into a statement I didn’t want to make without the full facts.”

Hova also clarified a few things of his own, including the information that his Shawn Carter Foundation, which offers financial assistance to economically disadvantaged college students, will receive 25 percent of all sales from the collaboration.

Still, frustrated comments continue to flood the page, which assert that the star isn’t doing enough by merely opening “a dialogue to effect real change.” Too little too late or an exercise in caution? Sound off below.
UPDATE: Jay-Z released a statement Friday in which he confirmed 100 percent of sales from the BNY SCC collaboration will now go to The Shawn Carter Foundation. He also said he has taken on “a leadership role and [a] seat on a council specifically convened to deal with the issue of racial profiling”:

I am in a unique position to use my voice to affect change to this disturbing issue. The easy position would have been to walk away and leave policy making to others hoping that someone addresses the problem. I will not leave the outcome to others. I will take this into my own hands with full power to recommend, review and revise policies and guidelines moving forward. I am choosing to take this head on.