A rumor that surfaced online in May 2025 suggested that the Country Music Association (CMA) had accused rapper Jay-Z of unethical promotion, lying, and bribery.
The claim spread after a post appeared on the Reagan Was Right Facebook page on May 5. The post featured an image of an unidentified speaker in front of a CMA logo, with Jay-Z’s photo superimposed on it. The post, which garnered over 8,600 reactions, read: “The Country Music Association issued a statement accusing Jay-Z of unethical promotion, lying to the public, and bribing industry insiders to influence awards voting. Jay-Z will no longer be welcome at any CMA event, including the American Music Awards and the Country Music Awards. Meanwhile, his wife’s ‘big tour’ is a flop that can’t sell out a show. Karma hits when you least expect it.”
Many readers took the post seriously, with some even suggesting that the awards Beyoncé received for her 2024 album Cowboy Carter were the result of bribery. The rumor quickly spread across social media.
However, after conducting searches on Bing, DuckDuckGo, and Google, no credible news outlets reported any accusations by the CMA against Jay-Z or any bans on his attendance at events. It was soon revealed that the Reagan Was Right Facebook page is part of the satirical “America’s Last Line of Defense” network, known for posting fake and humorous content. The page itself states: “An authorized dumping ground for profitable right-wing propaganda and confirmation bias-based nonsense courtesy of America’s Last Line of Defense. Nothing on this page is real.”
The page also includes watermarked images labeled with an “S” for satire. Attempts to reach representatives for both the CMA and Jay-Z for comment were unsuccessful.
This fictional rumor began circulating just days before the 2025 Academy of Country Music (ACM) Awards on May 8. Beyoncé was not nominated for any ACM Awards, nor was she nominated for any 2024 CMA Awards, despite Cowboy Carter being eligible. The CMA Awards, held annually in November, were not involved in the Grammy Awards, which Beyoncé’s album won in early 2025, including Best Country Album. The Grammy Awards are organized by the Recording Academy, not the CMA or ACM.
The rumor also gained traction amid Beyoncé’s ongoing Cowboy Carter Tour. A similar satirical claim had previously been debunked by Snopes in 2024, which falsely claimed Jay-Z had paid $20 million to country radio stations to play songs from his wife’s album.
This serves as a reminder to be cautious of rumors from sources that present themselves as humorous or satirical.
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