‘How do you pick yourself?’ Jay-Z once turned down the Super Bowl. Now he’s headlining the show he produces

Jay-Z will headline the Apple Music Super Bowl LXI Halftime Show at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif., on Feb. 14, 2027. The NFL, Apple Music, and Roc Nation announced the news Monday night during halftime of the Dallas Cowboys–Philadelphia Eagles game on Monday Night Football.

The booking is unusual because of who made it. Jay-Z’s Roc Nation has advised the NFL on halftime performers since 2019, so the man who has chosen the league’s headliners for the past seven years has now chosen himself. In a statement, the 56-year-old rapper reflected on the three decades since his debut album, saying “this has been a journey.” NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said that when the league first signed Roc Nation, his only request was that Jay-Z perform himself one day, “whenever the moment felt right to him.”

The halftime slot is the latest milestone for an artist who has built far more wealth in business than in music. As Fortune has previously reported, Jay-Z’s fortune has grown to an estimated $2.8 billion, driven by Roc Nation, his spirits deals, and venture investments.

The halftime slot is the latest milestone for an artist who has built far more wealth in business than in music. As Fortune has previously reported, Jay-Z’s fortune has grown to an estimated $2.8 billion, driven by Roc Nation, his spirits deals, and venture investments.

Roc Nation will executive produce the show, and Hamish Hamilton, who directed Beyoncé’s 2013 halftime performance, will direct. The game will air on ESPN and ABC and stream on Disney . It is ESPN’s first live Super Bowl.

A victory lap years in the making

The announcement caps a big........

© Fortune