Jay-Z caught flack from viewers of this past weekend’s Super Bowl as he and wife Beyonce were seated during the national anthem.

While at an event at Columbia University, Jay was asked about the TMZ video and whether him being seated was a sign of protest. Hov responded:

“It actually wasn’t. Sorry. We immediately jumped into artist mode. I’m really just looking at the show. The mics start. Was it too low to start?”

It is important to bear in mind that Jay-Z’s Roc Nation is now overseeing the National Football League’s Super Bowl entertainment as part of the controversial deal the rap mogul and the pro-football league struck last year. Jay-Z noted that there wasn’t a need for “silent protest” because he believed the diverse lineup he rolled out for to perform was his way of “making the biggest loudest protest of all.”