LOS ANGELES – Jay-Z is moving from behind the scenes to center stage at the Super Bowl halftime show.
The NFL, Apple Music and Roc Nation announced Monday night that Jay-Z will headline 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 stadium where he wrapped up his “Jay-Z 30” concerts over the weekend. The concert 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 events, 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 has agreed to perform 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 including “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.
Jay-Z’s influence also extends beyond recording music into publishing, artist management and sports. He co-founded Roc-A-Fella Records and launched Roc Nation in 2008, growing it into an entertainment company representing artists and athletes.
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 headlined last season’s Super Bowl halftime show in February. In the hours afterward, his music posted significant gains across streaming charts, playlists and music discovery platforms.
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