FILE – Jay-Z gestures from the sidelines before the NFL’s Super Bowl 59 football game on Feb. 9, 2025, in New Orleans.
Frank Franklin II/AP
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Frank Franklin II/AP
LOS ANGELES — The man who helped produce the Super Bowl halftime show is stepping into the spotlight: Jay-Z will headline the show himself.
The NFL, Apple Music and Roc Nation announced Monday evening that Jay-Z will be the featured performer at the halftime festivities on February 14 at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said he had one request when the league struck a deal with Roc Nation: that Jay-Z take the stage himself “whenever the time seems appropriate.”
“From ‘reasonable doubt’ to Super Bowl halftime, it’s been a journey,” Jay-Z said in a statement. “Thirty years of music, work and culture on the world’s biggest stage. This run continues to be a dream come true.”
After days of speculation, Jay-Z is expected to return to the stadium where he closed his 30th anniversary celebration of “Reasonable Doubt,” the mogul’s 1996 debut album. The concerts included three sold-out shows at Yankee Stadium and sold-out performances in London and Paris before a stop at SoFi Stadium this weekend.
Jay-Z’s Roc Nation has partnered with the NFL since 2019 to advise and help produce the league’s entertainment presentations, including the Super Bowl halftime show. At the time, Jay-Z said he told Goodell, “If this is about my Super Bowl performance, then we can just end this conversation right now.”
Seven years later, Jay-Z is finally ready to perform on stage.
Jay-Z, born Shawn Carter, has won 25 Grammy Awards and received 89 nominations, the second most in history behind his wife, Beyoncé, who has appeared in two Super Bowls. His catalog also includes the albums “The Blueprint” and “The Black Album,” as well as hit songs such as “Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem),” “99 Problems” and “Empire State of Mind,” his collaboration with Alicia Keys.
Last year, “Reasonable Doubt” was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.
His recent concerts have attracted a rotating cast of guests. At SoFi Stadium, his daughter Blue Ivy played piano on “The Story of OJ” and “Dead Presidents,” while Scarface, John Legend and DJ Khaled joined him on opening night. Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg and Too $hort appeared on Saturday’s finale.
Earlier in the race, Beyoncé, Rihanna, Eminem and Nas were among the guests at Yankee Stadium.
Jay-Z has built a career as an executive and entrepreneur. The Brooklyn rapper co-founded Roc-A-Fella Records and founded Roc Nation in 2008, growing it into an entertainment company that works with artists and athletes.
Jay-Z became the first rapper inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2017 and joined the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2021. He is also a four-time Emmy winner.
Roc Nation will produce the halftime show, under the direction of Hamish Hamilton.
The halftime show has garnered Emmys in recent years. Bad Bunny’s performance in February won a record seven, including best variety special (live), while last year Kendrick Lamar’s show won for musical direction.
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