Super Bowl LXI: Jay-Z Confirmed to Perform
The rapper will take the stage on February 14, marking his first halftime appearance despite producing the show for his label.
By Jessica Abebe ·
The National Football League confirmed on Tuesday that Jay-Z will perform during the Super Bowl LXI halftime show. The announcement resolves a long-standing question about whether the hip-hop artist, who has produced the halftime presentations for his company Roc Nation since 2019, would ever step onto the field himself.
The game is scheduled for February 14 near Los Angeles. The NFL did not specify if Carter, whose real name is Shawn Carter, will be the sole headliner. Instead, the league stated that anticipation regarding potential guest stars is expected to rise immediately. The statement noted that his wife, Beyoncé, would likely be at the top of the list of possible collaborators.
The confirmation followed two shows Carter performed at the Los Angeles stadium last weekend. Those concerts were part of a tour celebrating the 30th anniversary of his debut album, Reasonable Doubt. Carter described the move from the album's release to the Super Bowl stage as a continuous journey of music and work on the world's biggest stage.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell expressed excitement for fans to experience Carter's artistry and cultural impact. Goodell revealed that when he first reached an agreement with Roc Nation to produce the show, he made one specific request. He asked that Carter take the stage himself one day, whenever the moment felt right to him. The announcement did not provide details on the musical lineup or the scale of the production.
