Rap icon Jay-Z will headline the Super Bowl LXI halftime show on February 14, 2027, at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, marking the first time he will perform at the NFL championship game.

The billionaire rapper, whose real name is Shawn Carter, has played a key role in shaping the halftime show since 2019, when the NFL partnered with his entertainment company, Roc Nation.

Under the partnership, Roc Nation oversees the show’s musical direction and artist selection, with Jay-Z serving as a key figure in determining who performs at the annual spectacle.

The announcement has already sparked speculation about potential guest performers, with fans tipping his wife, singer Beyoncé, to join him on stage.

“Anticipation as to who Jay-Z might have guest star at halftime for the big game will now kick off,” the NFL said.

Jay-Z joins a list of recent halftime headliners that includes Bad Bunny, Kendrick Lamar, Usher, Rihanna and The Weeknd.

His selection comes days after he performed two concerts at SoFi Stadium to mark the 30th anniversary of his debut album, Reasonable Doubt.

“From ‘Reasonable Doubt’ to standing on the Super Bowl halftime stage, this has been a journey,” Carter said in a statement. “Thirty years of music, work, and culture on the world’s biggest stage.”

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell also welcomed the announcement, revealing that having Jay-Z perform was his only special request when the league first partnered with Roc Nation.

“I couldn’t be more excited for fans around the world to experience the artistry, creativity, and cultural impact he will bring,” Goodell said, according to the BBC.

The performance adds to Jay-Z’s list of career milestones.

He was the first hip-hop artist inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame, has won 25 Grammy Awards and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2021.