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Jay-Z is stepping up from back stage to headline the next Super Bowl halftime show, the mini-concert his Roc Nation entertainment group has helped produced for nearly a decade.
The US rap mogul will front the celebration of American football’s pinnacle event at the SoFi Stadium on Valentine’s Day, 14 February, in Inglewood, California.
“From ‘Reasonable Doubt‘ to standing on the Super Bowl Halftime stage, this has been a journey,” the 56-year-old rapper, born Shawn Carter, said in a statement. “Thirty years of music, work, and culture on the world’s biggest stage. This run continues to be a dream come true.”
The announcement comes several days after reports first emerged linking Jay-Z to performing as chatter online circled on his relevance given his absence from the charts.
But the National Football League commissioner, Roger Goodell, has not expressed any doubts over Jay-Z’s pulling power. On Monday night he said the rapper had been on the NFL’s wish list to perform since 2019, when the league first reached a partnership deal with Roc Nation. At the time, Jay-Z said he had told Goodell, “If this is about me performing at the Super Bowl, then we can just end this conversation now.”
From ‘Reasonable Doubt’ to delivery
The halftime show has collected Emmys in recent years. Bad Bunny’s performance in February won a record seven, including best variety special (live), while Kendrick Lamar’s show last year won for music direction.
Jay-Z’s had a string of sold-out shows in the US, London and Paris ahead of a stop at the SoFi stadium over the weekend, where he closed his celebration of the 30th anniversary of his debut album ‘Reasonable Doubt’.
He 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 catalogue also includes the albums ‘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.
Jay-Z became the first rapper inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2017 and joined the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2021.
His empire stretches from champagne to cognac, sports management and developing tech investments, which have all contributed to him being named hip-hop’s first billionaire by Forbes in 2019. He is also a four-time Emmy winner.
Roc Nation will executive produce the halftime show, with Hamish Hamilton directing.
Additional sources • AP