Jay-Z to head Super Bowl halftime show at SoFi Stadium

Inglewood, California, will host the next Super Bowl halftime show, and Jay-Z will be the featured performer on Feb. 14. The NFL, Apple Music, and Roc Nation confirmed the booking on Monday night.

The announcement ends weeks of speculation about the midgame entertainment. Jay-Z, born Shawn Carter, is returning to SoFi Stadium, the venue where he recently concluded a tour celebrating the 30th anniversary of his 1996 debut album, Reasonable Doubt.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said he made one specific request when the league originally partnered with Roc Nation in 2019. Goodell asked that Jay-Z take the stage himself whenever the moment felt right to him. At the time of the partnership, Jay-Z told Goodell that if the deal was about him performing at the Super Bowl, they could end the conversation now. Seven years later, the rapper is ready to step into the spotlight.

In a statement, Jay-Z reflected on his career trajectory. He noted that moving from the release of Reasonable Doubt to standing on the Super Bowl stage represents a journey of thirty years. He described the opportunity as a dream come true and said the run continues.

The rapper has a deep history with the stadium. Over the weekend, he closed his anniversary tour with sold-out shows at SoFi Stadium. Previous stops in the tour included sold-out performances at Yankee Stadium, as well as concerts in London and Paris. During the SoFi Stadium shows, a rotating cast of guests joined Jay-Z. His daughter Blue Ivy played piano on The Story of O.J. and Dead Presidents. Scarface, John Legend, and DJ Khaled appeared on opening night, while Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, and Too $hort joined him for Saturday's finale. Earlier in the tour, Beyoncé, Rihanna, Eminem, and Nas were among the guests at Yankee Stadium.

Jay-Z's career includes 25 Grammy Awards and 89 nominations. He is the second-most nominated artist in history, behind his wife Beyoncé, who has performed at two previous Super Bowls. Last year, Reasonable Doubt was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. He also co-founded Roc-A-Fella Records and founded Roc Nation in 2008.

Roc Nation will executive produce the halftime show, with Hamish Hamilton serving as director. The show follows recent Emmys for the event, including a record seven wins for Bad Bunny's performance in February and a music direction award for Kendrick Lamar's show last year.