Jay-Z will take the Super Bowl LXI halftime stage on Valentine’s Day at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif. The performance will mark a milestone moment in a year already shaped by major performances and career reflection. The 25‑time Grammy winner — who has spent recent years helping guide the NFL’s halftime programming through Roc Nation — will step into the spotlight himself after producing the show behind the scenes. The news was announced during Monday Night Football on Oct. 26.
In a statement, Jay-Z called the moment a continuation of the journey that began with his 1996 debut Reasonable Doubt. “Thirty years of music, work, and culture on the world’s biggest stage. This run continues to be a dream come true,” he said.
The halftime confirmation arrives during a year where Jay-Z revisited the foundation of his catalog through his JAY‑Z30 Concert Series — a run that included performances in New York, Paris and Los Angeles. Each stop highlighted the albums that shaped his career and the artists who helped define those eras alongside him. The series rolled out alongside his HBO documentary project “Jay-Z in ∞,” which looks back at his evolution as an artist, executive and cultural figure while in conversation with Rick Rubin.
Jay-Z’s path to the Super Bowl stage stretches across three decades of influence. He entered hip hop in 1996 with Reasonable Doubt, establishing himself as a defining voice in New York’s rap landscape. The late ’90s and early 2000s brought a string of commercially dominant albums — including Vol. 2… Hard Knock Life and The Blueprint — that cemented his place in the genre’s upper tier. After a brief retirement following The Black Album in 2003, he returned with Kingdom Come and expanded his reach beyond music. In 2008, he co‑founded Roc Nation. Over the past 18 years, the company has grown into a major force across management, publishing, sports representation and entertainment production. By 2019, Roc Nation had partnered with the NFL to help shape the league’s entertainment strategy — including the halftime show he will now headline.
Jay‑Z has influenced the sound of hip hop. He also reimagined the business surrounding it. His work in music, sports, film, television and live events reflects a career that continues to expand its reach.
Super Bowl LXI airs Feb. 14 on ESPN, ABC and Disney+.