Billionaire rapper Jay-Z reportedly picks himself for 2027 Super Bowl halftime show

American billionaire rapper Jay-Z is set to headline the Super Bowl LXI halftime show in February, people familiar with the plans said, putting the rapper on the stage his own company has filled for the past seven years.

Jay-Z, whose real name is Shawn Carter, founded Roc Nation, the entertainment company that has advised the National Football League on its live music and produced the halftime show since 2019. The game will be played on Feb. 14, 2027, at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, home of the Los Angeles Rams and Chargers.

The NFL, Roc Nation and Apple Music, which sponsors the show, have not announced a headliner. Jay-Z has not commented. Miley Cyrus and Justin Bieber were also considered for the booking before the 56-year-old emerged as the choice, the people said.

Two stadium nights in Los Angeles

The timing has put attention on his concerts this week. Jay-Z plays SoFi Stadium, the Super Bowl venue, on Friday and Saturday, Oct. 23 and 24, as part of a run of shows marking 30 years since his debut album, Reasonable Doubt, and 25 years since The Blueprint. The second Los Angeles date was added after the first sold out. The two shows could be used to announce the booking, according to the people.

The anniversary run has been his biggest touring push in years. He played three sold-out nights at Yankee Stadium in New York in July, drawing more than 136,000 fans, and followed with a sold-out show in Paris. Before this year he had not headlined a concert since 2017, the same year he released 4:44, still his most recent solo studio album.

A slot he once turned down

Jay-Z has never headlined the halftime show, and for years he made a point of staying away from it. He turned down an offer to perform at the 2018 Super Bowl in Minneapolis, at a time when the league was under fire over its handling of quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who knelt during the national anthem to protest police brutality and racial injustice.

When Roc Nation signed its deal with the NFL in August 2019, Jay-Z said he told Commissioner Roger Goodell at the start of their talks that the partnership was not about him getting on stage.

"If this is about me performing at the Super Bowl, then we can just end this conversation now," he said at the time. He also said, "I think we've moved past kneeling, and I think it's time to go into actionable items," a remark that drew criticism from some Kaepernick supporters.

His position softened later. Asked in January 2024 whether he would ever give himself the job, he said, "I thought it would be too selfish to pick myself. Maybe one year. Maybe."

Roc Nation's halftime run

Under Roc Nation, the halftime show has been headlined by Shakira and Jennifer Lopez in 2020, The Weeknd in 2021, Dr Dre with Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Mary J. Blige, Kendrick Lamar and 50 Cent at SoFi Stadium in 2022, Rihanna in 2023, Usher in 2024, Kendrick Lamar in 2025 and Bad Bunny in February this year. Jesse Collins, who executive produces the show with Roc Nation, has said the choice of headliner is Jay-Z to make.

The original NFL deal was valued at about $25 million over five years. The league extended the partnership in 2024, and Goodell described it as "a mutually positive relationship." Roc Nation also advises the NFL on Inspire Change, its social justice programme.

The league named its last two headliners in September. Kendrick Lamar was announced in September 2024, and Bad Bunny in September 2025.

Jay-Z, who became hip-hop's first billionaire in 2019, is worth about $2.5 billion.