Jay-Z to headline Super Bowl LXI halftime show - ESPN

LOS ANGELES — The man who has helped produce the Super Bowl halftime show is stepping into the spotlight: Jay-Z will headline the show himself.

The NFL, Apple Music and Roc Nation announced Monday night that Jay-Z will be the featured performer for the halftime festivities on Feb. 14 at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California.

GOAT's out of the bag. @sc #AppleMusicHalftime #SBLXI https://t.co/GrIurjDM9L

Commissioner Roger Goodell said he had one request when the league first reached an agreement with Roc Nation: that Jay-Z take the stage himself «whenever the moment felt right to him.»

«From 'Reasonable Doubt' to standing on the Super Bowl halftime stage, this has been a journey,» Jay-Z 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.»

Jay-Z will return to the stadium where he just closed his celebration of the 30th anniversary of «Reasonable Doubt,» the mogul's 1996 debut album. The concerts included three sold-out shows at Yankee Stadium and sold-out performances in London and Paris ahead of a stop at SoFi Stadium this past weekend.

Jay-Z's Roc Nation has partnered with the NFL since 2019 to advise on and help produce the league's entertainment presentations, including the Super Bowl halftime show. 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.»

Seven years later, Jay-Z is ready to perform after all.

Jay-Z, born Shawn Carter, 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 catalog also includes the albums «The Blueprint» and «The Black Album,»