The NFL announced on Monday that rapper Jay-Z will headline the Super Bowl halftime show in February in Los Angeles, marking the billionaire artist’s first time performing on the sport’s biggest stage after years of producing the event through his company, Roc Nation.
Roger Goodell Discusses Jay-Z Performance
“Lorsque nous avons conclu notre premier accord avec Roc Nation pour produire le spectacle, je n’avais qu’une seule demande : que Jay-Z monte lui-même sur scène un jour, quand ce serait le bon moment pour lui,” NFL executive Roger Goodell said in a statement cited by Le Devoir. The league has not yet confirmed whether the 56-year-old artist will be the sole headliner for the February 14 performance.
Jay-Z Previously Rejected Offers over Guest Demands
The booking follows years of public distance between the artist and the halftime broadcast. Jay-Z revealed to the New York Times in 2020 that he previously turned down offers to perform because of conditional demands regarding guest artists. “Ce n’est pas comme ça qu’on fait, dire à quelqu’un qu’il fera le show de la mi-thetafficher à condition qu’il ramène telle ou telle personne,” he stated at the time, emphasizing that walking away was a matter of principle. His company subsequently took over production duties for the halftime show in 2020.
GOAT’s out of the bag. @sc #AppleMusicHalftime #SBLXI pic.twitter.com/GrIurjDM9L
Performance Coincides with World Tour and Business Success
The Super Bowl performance arrives amid a broader milestone for Shawn Carter, who has transitioned into full-time business ventures and stands recognized by Forbes as the first billionaire rapper in history. The February appearance coincides with a world tour celebrating three decades of musical output from the Brooklyn-born artist, whose catalog includes the hit “Empire State of Mind.”
Precedent Set by Prior Broadcasts
The announcement follows the previous year’s broadcast featuring Bad Bunny, whose performance celebrated Puerto Rico and Latin America. That show drew political commentary from Donald Trump, who criticized the set immediately following the broadcast. As preparations begin for the Los Angeles game, the exact lineup of supporting acts and the full running order remain unannounced by the league.
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