Jay-Z to perform at Super Bowl halftime after seven-year partnership

Shawn Carter, known professionally as Jay-Z, will headline the Super Bowl halftime show on February 14. The performance is scheduled for SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California. This announcement changes the format of the event, which has typically featured guest artists rather than the show's primary producer.

The NFL, Apple Music, and Roc Nation released the news on Monday night. For the past seven years, Roc Nation has worked with the NFL to advise on and produce the league's entertainment segments. Jay-Z helped build the infrastructure for these shows while stating he did not intend to perform on the main stage.

In 2019, when the partnership began, Jay-Z told NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell that if the goal was for him to perform, the conversation could end. That stance has reversed. The announcement follows a tour where Jay-Z closed his "Jay-Z 30" concert series at SoFi Stadium over the weekend. The tour began in New York and included stops in London before concluding in Southern California.

Jay-Z holds 25 Grammy Awards and has received 89 nominations. His wife, Beyonce, holds the record for the most nominations in history and has performed at two Super Bowls. His discography includes albums such as "Reasonable Doubt," "The Blueprint," and "The Black Album." The 1996 debut album "Reasonable Doubt" was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame last year.

His business ventures extend beyond music. He co-founded Roc-A-Fella Records and established Roc Nation in 2008. The company now manages artists and athletes. In 2017, he became the first rapper inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame, and he joined the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2021.

The previous Super Bowl halftime performer was Bad Bunny, who appeared in February. Data indicates that Bad Bunny's songs saw sharp increases in streaming charts, playlists, and music discovery platforms in the hours immediately following that performance.