Jay-Z to headline Super Bowl 2027 halftime show as producer turns performer

Jay-Z will headline the Super Bowl 2027 halftime show, which he has helped produce for many years now. The NFL, Apple Music and Roc Nation announced on Monday night that Jay-Z would be the featured performer for the halftime festivities on February 14 at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California.

Last year, Bad Bunny was the halftime performer, which had divided American audiences, with Charlie Kirk's Turning Point USA announcing its own halftime show. This time, Jay-Z's announcement comes after days of speculation, as the rapper, whose real name is Shawn Corey Carter, returns to the stadium where he closed his ‘Jay-Z 30’ concerts over the weekend.

The 56-year-old had three shows, starting with Yankee Stadium in New York, then in London and finally in Southern California.

Jay-Z's collaboration with NFL

Jay-Z’s Roc Nation has been in a partnership with the NFL since 2019. It has helped advise on and produce the league’s entertainment presentations, which include the Super Bowl halftime show. At the time, Jay-Z had said that he told NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, “If this is about me performing at the Super Bowl, then we can just end this conversation now.” Now, seven years later, Jay-Z is ready to perform after all.

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Goodell reportedly remarked “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,” as per Complex Music. The rapper meanwhile reportedly said “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.”

What to know about Jay-Z

Jay-Z has won 25 Grammy Awards and has 89 nominations, the second-most in history behind wife, Beyoncé. She has already performed at two Super Bowls.

Jay-Z's works include albums like “Reasonable Doubt,” “The Blueprint” and “The Black Album,” as well as hit tracks like “Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem),” “99 Problems” and “Empire State of Mind,” which was a collaboration with Alicia Keys.

The rapper's 1996 debut, “Reasonable Doubt,” was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame last year. His career has extended into music publishing, artist management and sports. Jay-Z co-founded Roc-A-Fella Records and founded Roc Nation in 2008, turning it into an entertainment company that works with artists and athletes. Jay-Z also became the first rapper inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2017. He joined the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2021.