Jay-Z to headline Super Bowl halftime at SoFi Stadium

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Jay-Z holds 25 Grammy Awards, and this week, the Brooklyn rapper confirmed he will headline the Super Bowl halftime show. The NFL, Apple Music, and Roc Nation announced the lineup Monday night for the performance scheduled for Feb. 14 at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California.

Roger Goodell, the NFL Commissioner, said he made one specific request when the league first partnered with Roc Nation in 2019. He asked that Jay-Z perform whenever the moment felt right. At that time, Jay-Z told Goodell that if the deal was about him performing, they could end the conversation immediately. Seven years later, the rapper is ready to take the stage.

This return to the venue carries personal history for the artist. SoFi Stadium hosted the final stop of his recent tour celebrating the 30th anniversary of his 1996 debut album, Reasonable Doubt. The tour included sold-out shows at Yankee Stadium in New York, as well as performances in London and Paris.

In a statement, Jay-Z described the selection as a culmination of three decades of work. He said, “From ‘Reasonable Doubt’ to standing on the Super Bowl halftime stage, this has been a journey.” He added that the experience represents a dream come true for his career in music and culture.

Roc Nation will executive produce the show, with director Hamish Hamilton leading the production. The halftime show has received critical acclaim in recent years, including seven Emmy awards for Bad Bunny’s performance in February of last year. Kendrick Lamar’s show also won for music direction.

Jay-Z, born Shawn Carter, has a long history of high-profile collaborations. During his recent concert run, he featured guests such as Blue Ivy, who played piano on opening night in Inglewood. Other performers at various stops included Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Rihanna, and Eminem. The rapper, who co-founded Roc-A-Fella Records and founded Roc Nation in 2008, was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2021.