The British actor Jay-Z mocked for having his “nipples out”
Jay-Z is no stranger to cracking jokes, so seeing someone on a Zoom call without their shirt on provided him with the perfect ammunition. Damson Idris, best known for his role in FX’s Snowfall, once told a hilarious story about the time he got roasted by Hov in front of many famous people during the pandemic.
In an interview with Good Morning America in 2021, Idris opened up about hopping on a video call to celebrate the birthday of Jay’s close friend, Lenny “Kodak Lens” Santiago, who serves as Roc Nation’s senior vice president. Idris wasn’t familiar with Zoom at the time, so he didn’t expect the call to be filled with people.
“I jump on the Zoom, and immediately, everyone’s laughing because I’m topless,” he said. “I thought there were going to be four people there and it’s literally 40 people there. I hear a distinctive voice, and the voice is like, ‘Hey man, this man on here topless with his nipples out and he got the grey headboard. Yo, who’s in charge of this Zoom? Yo Schaffer, you in charge of this Zoom? Yeah, you see that guy Damson, kick him out.”
After realising it was Jay, an embarrassed Idris tried to repair his image during the call, which was also attended by the likes of Meek Mill, Kevin Hart, Dave Chappelle, Tiffany Haddish and Michael B Jordan. “I’m like, ‘Hey guys, you know it’s late in London, let me just get a hoodie. I was going to bed, you know how it is,’” he said.
However, that only encouraged Jay, who said, “‘So you wear a hoodie to bed? OK, well, you know, you busy, like you said. You in London, so obviously, you know it’s Lenny’s birthday, so why don’t you give your little speech and be on your way?’”
Since then, Jay has come to Idris’ assistance in his career. The actor used Hov as a reference in his application for a Green Card, which grants a person permanent residency in the US, allowing him to work on Snowfall.
“He didn’t offer that up! I had to ask,” he told Complex. “But he’s done many things for me over the years, he’s always supported me. He supports everyone. He supports so many people that you don’t even know. Genuinely, I should tell everyone this right now: if you ever run into Jay-Z, just say thank you and keep it moving. Because he is definitely a pioneer of the culture, but of everything.”
He added, “I’ve never told him this, but he’s a huge idol of mine. Thank you for that reference. I won’t tell you how it happened ’cause there’s a couple more favours that I’m gonna need in the future, but yeah, he hooked me up with that.”