Jay-Z to headline Super Bowl halftime at SoFi Stadium

Inglewood, California. Jay-Z will perform at the Super Bowl halftime show on Feb. 14. The event will take place at SoFi Stadium. The NFL, Apple Music and Roc Nation announced the lineup on Monday night.

The decision follows a partnership that began in 2019. Roc Nation has advised the league on entertainment presentations since that year. Jay-Z, born Shawn Carter, initially resisted the idea of performing himself. In 2019, he told NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, "If this is about me performing at the Super Bowl, then we can just end this conversation now."

Goodell said he had one request when the league first agreed to work with Roc Nation. He asked that Jay-Z take the stage whenever the moment felt right. Seven years later, Jay-Z accepted the role. In a statement, the artist described the career as a journey from his debut album to the world's biggest stage.

"Thirty years of music, work, and culture on the world's biggest stage," Jay-Z said. "This run continues to be a dream come true."

The announcement comes after a series of anniversary concerts for "Reasonable Doubt." Jay-Z closed that tour at SoFi Stadium over the weekend. The tour included three sold-out shows at Yankee Stadium and sold-out performances in London and Paris. Guests at the SoFi Stadium shows included Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Too $hort, and his daughter Blue Ivy.

Roc Nation will executive produce the halftime show. Hamish Hamilton will serve as the director. The league has a history of high-profile performances. Bad Bunny won a record seven Emmys for his show in February. Kendrick Lamar's performance last year won an Emmy for music direction.

Jay-Z has won 25 Grammy Awards and received 89 nominations. He is the second-most nominated artist in history. His catalog includes albums such as "The Blueprint" and "The Black Album." He joined the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2021 and the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2017.