Rapper Jay-Z will headline the Super Bowl halftime show on 14 February at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, the NFL, Apple Music and Roc Nation announced.

The performance will mark the first time Jay-Z, whose company has helped produce the NFL’s halftime entertainment for years, will take the stage as the show’s headliner.

“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.”

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said he had initially told Jay-Z that he could perform at the Super Bowl whenever he felt the time was right.

Jay-Z, whose real name is Shawn Carter, has partnered with the NFL through his entertainment company Roc Nation since 2019 to advise on and produce its entertainment programmes, including the halftime show.

At the time of the partnership, Jay-Z had reportedly told Goodell that if the deal was about getting him to perform at the Super Bowl, there was no point in continuing the conversation.

The announcement comes as Jay-Z concludes celebrations marking the 30th anniversary of his 1996 debut album, Reasonable Doubt. The celebrations included sold-out shows in New York, London and Paris, followed by performances at SoFi Stadium.

The rapper has won 25 Grammy Awards from 89 nominations, the second-highest total in Grammy history behind his wife, Beyoncé. His acclaimed albums include The Blueprint and The Black Album, while his hit songs include “99 Problems”, “Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem)” and “Empire State of Mind”, featuring Alicia Keys.

Reasonable Doubt was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame last year.

Beyond music, Jay-Z has built a career as an entrepreneur and entertainment executive. He co-founded Roc-A-Fella Records and launched Roc Nation in 2008, developing it into an entertainment company representing artists and athletes.

He became the first rapper inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2017 and joined the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2021. He has also won four Emmy Awards.

Roc Nation will executive-produce the halftime show, with Hamish Hamilton directing.

The Super Bowl halftime show has received several Emmy Awards in recent years. Bad Bunny’s performance in February won a record seven awards, including best variety special (live), while Kendrick Lamar’s performance last year won an Emmy for music direction.