Former basketball player Jalen Rose claims Jay-Z's NFL partnership is good for the sport
Former basketball player Jalen Rose claims Jay-Z's NFL partnership is good for the sport
Jay-Z is to take centre stage at the 2027 Super Bowl halftime show, seven years after his company, Roc Nation, began shaping the league's entertainment output.
The NFL, Apple Music, and Roc Nation announced Monday night that the rapper will headline the halftime show on February 14 at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California.
The confirmation followed days of speculation about who would headline the show.
The booking will bring Jay-Z back to the stadium where he closed his “Jay-Z 30” concerts over the weekend.
That run began with three shows at Yankee Stadium in New York, continued in London and ended in Southern California.
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 performed at two Super Bowls.
His catalog includes the albums Reasonable Doubt, The Blueprint and The Black Album, and hit songs such as “Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem),” “99 Problems” and “Empire State of Mind,” his collaboration with Alicia Keys.
His 1996 debut, Reasonable Doubt, was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame last year.
Roc Nation, which he founded in 2008, has partnered with the NFL since 2019 to advise on and help produce the league's entertainment presentations, including the Super Bowl halftime show.
At the time, Jay-Z said he had told NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, “If this is about me performing at the Super Bowl, then we can just end this conversation now.”
Jay-Z at last year’s Super Bowl
Jay-Z at last year’s Super Bowl (AP)
Goodell said in a statement: “For several years, we've had the privilege of working closely with Jay-Z and Roc Nation, and I've seen the extraordinary impact he has had on the Super Bowl half-time Show.
“When we first reached an agreement with Roc Nation to produce the show, I had just one request: that Jay-Z take the stage himself one day, whenever the moment felt right to him. I couldn't be more excited for fans around the world to experience the artistry, creativity and cultural impact he will bring to the Super Bowl stage."
Jay-Z added in his own statement: "From Reasonable Doubt to standing on the Super Bowl halftime stage, this has been a journey. Thirty years of music, work, and culture on the world’s biggest stage. This run continues to be a dream come true."
The rapper co-founded Roc-A-Fella Records in 1994 and built Roc Nation into an entertainment company that works with artists and athletes.
The 56-year-old became the first rapper inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2017 and joined the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2021.
Last year’s halftime show was performed by the Spanish-language Puerto Rican rapper Bad Bunny to widespread acclaim.