LOS ANGELES – Jay-Z has spent years helping shape the Super Bowl halftime show from behind the scenes. Now, the rap icon will take center stage as its headliner.
The NFL, Apple Music and Roc Nation announced Monday night that Jay-Z will lead the halftime performance on Feb. 14 at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California.
The announcement ends days of speculation and brings Jay-Z back to the same stadium where he wrapped up his “Jay-Z 30” concert run over the weekend. The series opened with three performances at Yankee Stadium in New York, moved to London and concluded in Southern California.
Since 2019, Jay-Z’s Roc Nation has worked with the NFL to advise on and help produce the league’s entertainment presentations, including the Super Bowl halftime show. When the partnership began, Jay-Z told NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, “If this is about me performing at the Super Bowl, then we can just end this conversation now.”
Seven years later, he is preparing to perform at the Super Bowl after all.
Born Shawn Carter, Jay-Z has earned 25 Grammy Awards from 89 nominations, the second-highest total in Grammy history behind his wife, Beyoncé, who has performed at two Super Bowls. His influential catalog includes “Reasonable Doubt,” “The Blueprint” and “The Black Album,” along with hits such as “Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem),” “99 Problems” and “Empire State of Mind,” his collaboration with Alicia Keys.
His 1996 debut album, “Reasonable Doubt,” was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame last year.
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Jay-Z’s influence extends well beyond recording music. He co-founded Roc-A-Fella Records and launched Roc Nation in 2008, growing the company into an entertainment business representing artists and athletes while also working in music publishing and sports.
In 2017, Jay-Z became the first rapper inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. Four years later, he was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
Bad Bunny performed during last season’s Super Bowl in February. In the hours after the show, his music saw significant increases across streaming charts, playlists and music discovery platforms.
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