Rapper and music mogul Jay-Z will headline the Super Bowl halftime show on 14 February at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, the NFL, Apple Music and Roc Nation announced yesterday(26 October) night.
Jay-Z, whose company has helped produce the NFL’s halftime entertainment for years, will take centre stage himself for the first time.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said his initial request when the league partnered with Roc Nation was for Jay-Z to perform at the Super Bowl whenever he felt the time was right.
“From ‘Reasonable Doubt’ to standing on the Super Bowl halftime stage, this has 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.”
The announcement followed days of speculation and came as Jay-Z returned to the stadium where he recently concluded celebrations marking the 30th anniversary of his 1996 debut album, “Reasonable Doubt.”
The celebrations included three sold-out shows at Yankee Stadium, as well as sold-out performances in London and Paris, before a weekend appearance at SoFi Stadium.
Jay-Z’s company, Roc Nation, has partnered with the NFL since 2019 to advise on and help produce the league’s entertainment programmes, including the Super Bowl halftime show.
At the time, Jay-Z had told Goodell, “If this is about me performing at the Super Bowl, then we can just end this conversation now.”
Seven years later, he is ready to take the stage.
Born Shawn Carter, Jay-Z has won 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 celebrated discography includes the albums “The Blueprint” and “The Black Album”, along with 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.
Jay-Z’s recent concerts featured a rotating lineup of guest performers. At SoFi Stadium, his daughter Blue Ivy played piano during “The Story of O.J.” and “Dead Presidents”, while Scarface, John Legend and DJ Khaled joined him on opening night. Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg and Too $hort appeared during Saturday’s finale.
Earlier in the concert series, Beyoncé, Rihanna, Eminem and Nas were among the guests at Yankee Stadium.
Beyond music, Jay-Z has established himself as an entrepreneur and entertainment executive. The Brooklyn-born rapper co-founded Roc-A-Fella Records and launched Roc Nation in 2008, building it into an entertainment company representing artists and athletes.
In 2017, he became the first rapper inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. He joined the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2021 and has also won four Emmy Awards.
Roc Nation will executive-produce the halftime show, with Hamish Hamilton directing.
The Super Bowl halftime show has earned several Emmy Awards in recent years. Bad Bunny’s performance in February won a record seven awards, including best variety special (live), while Kendrick Lamar’s performance last year won an Emmy for music direction.
Source: Variety
