It’s easy to imagine what songs would be in a Jay-Z NFL Halftime Show. Since it’s arguably the biggest show of any given year, he’ll trot out all the big hits. Despite being in LA, hearing “Empire State of Mind” is going to be a given. “Run This Town” will make the cut, a couple of collaborations with his wife Beyoncé, and a medley of classics to satiate his rap-forward fans. Hov has to keep his audience in mind, and they might not appreciate his incredible b-sides like hip-hop fans will.
However, Jay-Z has some songs that are just too good not to hear in a massive stadium setting. Even if they didn’t conquer Billboard and become massive cultural touchstones, the quality is grandiose enough to match the stage. Plus all the rap nerds would receive a fun bit of fan service during such a big moment.
Consequently, we picked three fantastic songs from the New York legend that were tailored for stages like the Super Bowl.
Three Classic Jay-Z Songs That Would Be in My Dream Super Bowl Halftime Show Set
“Intro (The Dynasty)”
It would be extremely easy for Jay to pick “Public Service Announcement” as the intro to his Super Bowl Halftime Show. After all, it allows him to “reintroduce myself” with a big bang. It would undoubtedly be effective, but a bit predictable.
Instead, I offer the Dynasty intro, where the heat is high and the anticipation builds up even higher. Then, when he eventually drops into an all-time classic like “99 Problems“, he’ll have an even more explosive opening.
“Show Me What You Got”
Kingdom Come tends to go generally overlooked in Jay-Z’s catalog. It wasn’t quite the commercial smash that the music seemingly intended. Moreover, it wasn’t Hov at the peak of his powers as a rapper either. It underwhelmed many initially, especially coming off such a classic “retirement” album with The Black Album.
But I still maintain that “Show Me What You Got” is severely underrated. It’s by far one of his most evocative songs musically with a whirlwind of horns and drums that’s both luxurious and invigorating. Imagine a live drummer knocking out the solo during the outro and tell me that wouldn’t give goosebumps. If Lil Wayne didn’t thoroughly outclass him with the same beat, fans would remember it more fondly.
“Roc Boys (And the Winner Is)…”
If the Super Bowl Halftime Show is the crowning moment in Jay-Z’s legacy, it needs the proper celebratory song. Though songs like “Encore” absolutely do the trick, “Roc Boys (And The Winner Is)…” is an underrated record for his victory lap. Hov reflects on overcoming the street corner to taking over white collar business and the horns howl in triumph for him. This is a celebration as much as it is a retrospective of his career. This American Gangster classic would make that fact all the more evident.
Over the weekend, Jay-Z wrapped up a global anniversary run with two shows at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles on October 23 and October 24, 2026. The rapper celebrated the 30th anniversary of his debut album, Reasonable Doubt, and the 25th anniversary of his 2001 No. 1 album, The Blueprint. Dubbed the Jay-30 30 Tour, the tour launched in July at Yankee Stadium in New York with three shows. In September, the tour stopped in London and then France shortly after.
Despite what has been said, Jay-Z sold out his final two nights at SoFi Stadium. There’s been a lot of hearsay and false narratives surrounding Jay-Z in recent years. The feud between Kendrick Lamar and Drake has continued to expand, placing certain artists in key categories on each side of the beef. Jay-Z, who belongs on the side of Roc Nation, has been in a small feud of his own with Drake. In May, Drake took shots at Jay-Z on his new album, Iceman. Jay-Z responded with a freestyle diss at the 2026 Roots Picnic shortly after.
Also, Jay-Z selecting himself as the next halftime performer for the Super Bowl in 2027 hasn’t helped cool these rumors. In fact, it may be why false reports circulated about poor attendance at these two SoFi Stadium performances.
On night one of the sold-out shows at SoFi Stadium, Jay-Z had multiple special guests. These included John Legend, Blue Ivy, and DJ Khaled. On the second evening, Jay-Z closed out the tour with a special West Coast hip-hop showcase. This featured special guests Too $hort, Snoop Dogg, and Dr. Dre. The sold-out shows were attended by his wife, Beyoncé, who reunited with her Destiny’s Child bandmates Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams. Additionally, Lizzo, Vanessa Bryant, Jessica Alba, and Wizkid were all spotted at the concert.
On Night Two, Jay-Z Addressed Online Rumors And SPOKE Out AGAINST AI
In the midst of his brewing feud, many took to social media to falsely report that Jay-Z’s finale show was empty. People cited low-priced tickets as the reason these rumors began. Jay-Z addressed these rumors on stage during the second evening. To the sold-out crowd, he stated, “I’ve got a real quick important message for y’all tonight. “Y’all got to be very aware of what’s going on in the world, right? People will tell you that nobody was in here tonight, but you got eyes; you can see. People will tell you that the music wasn’t great, but you got ears.”
Jay-Z then took this opportunity to speak on the rise of AI in recent years. He said, “Question everything in this world of AI.” He spoke on how artificial intelligence mimics artists and fans as well, adding, “We have real intelligence, not artificial intelligence. We feel, right? This concert tonight, we felt.”
Jay-Z continued his star-studded stretch of stadium shows by performing at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles. This time, during his second show, he brought out Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg to perform their G-Funk classic “Nuthin’ But A G Thang“. Additionally, they ran through other iconic West Coast records under their belt, including “The Next Episode,” “California Love,” and “Still D.R.E.”.
Elsewhere in the evening, Hov brought out another member of West Coast hip-hop royalty in Too $hort. There, he performed the biggest song of his career in “Blow The Whistle“.
Towards the end of the show, Jay-Z tackled a litany of rumors and misinformation online that his foray onto the West Coast wasn’t selling well. Consequently, he launched into a lengthy aside about the dangers of being on the internet, especially during the rise of AI.
“You gotta be very aware of what’s going on in the world,” Jay told the audience. “People will tell you that nobody was in here tonight, but you got eyes. You can see. People will tell you that the music wasn’t great, but you got ears. You gotta understand, you gotta question everything. This world with AI and everything, it’s been going on forever. They called it propaganda before. But now, the technology has caught up and people are tricked. A lot of tricknology for us… Make sure you question everything you feel.”
Jay-Z Had Another Historic Show in Los Angeles and Warned About the Dangers of AI in the Process
Additionally, Hov stressed the importance of being yourself when the internet brings so much uncertainty. Whether it’s the legitimacy of information or just general hating, he insisted that fans embrace who they are.
“You need to learn the you. You tell ’em your swag, you tell em your name— they can’t be you. Could never be you. Question everything, especially in this day and age,” Jay-Z said. “They will tell you Jigga ain’t Jigga. Hov is mothaf**kin’ Hov!”
The Roc-A-Fella legend didn’t just bring out Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg for the sake of honoring the West Coast, though it definitely played a role. He actually played a pretty significant role in their careers, writing the entirety of “Still D.R.E.”.
In an interview with The New York Times, Jay-Z explained that it was actually pretty seamless for him to embody the West Coast legends at the time. “Dr. Dre, I grew up obviously a fan of him and Snoop. You know, this is Dr. Dre coming off [of] leaving Death Row. I knew where he was trying to go ‘cause I’ve been there a couple times with Kingdom Come and those things. So, he’s trying to [say], ‘I’m leaving this place, and I want to mature,’” he shared.
The pseudoscientific self-help book by Rhonda Byrne rode a 2006 Oprah Winfrey endorsement to the tune of tens of millions of copies sold. It pushes the “law of attraction,” the idea that the universe is built on positive and negative energies, and that like sticks with like. In short, if you think regularly about the things you want and maintain a positive attitude, those things are more likely to come your way.
That’s the gist, anyway. Honestly, I never read it. But its ubiquity in the aughts, its reputation for being largely composed of quotations and the relative unoriginality of the premise — which adds a bit of woo-woo to the idea that you catch more flies with honey than vinegar — makes it feel like I have. Even if I was completely unaware of the New Thought movement, or if I’d never heard the name Norman Vincent Peale, I’d have some idea of what Byrne was on about. I’ve been a Jay-Z fan for most of my life.
The rapper has been manifesting his second act as a power player for nearly his entire career. Outside of some early, Das Efx-indebted features in the early ‘90s, Shawn Carter has been manifesting moguldom across his discography.
It’s right there on the cover of his 1996 debut “Reasonable Doubt.” The black-and-white photo and early computer-assisted graphic design look chintzy now, especially when held up to the art-directed and museum-curated sheen of his later work. But there’s no mistaking what Jay-Z is going for with his fedora, scarf and cigar. This kid from Brooklyn’s Marcy Projects is no street-level striver. He’s a boss.
It carries into track one, where a middleman is warning some lackey not to cross Carter. The first thing anyone hears about Jay-Z is in reverential tones, fit for a short-tempered kingpin. You get the sense that you might get to meet him someday, if you play your cards right. But for now, he’s out of your reach and your tax bracket. What follows is nearly an hour of opulent sh*t talk, laid over lush soul and jazz samples handpicked by producers with names like DJ Premier. It sounds slick and established. It sounds expensive. Most importantly, it sounds unhurried and in control. This was oligarch rap from the latest king of New York.
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In 1996, Jay-Z was far from the billionaire multihyphenate we know today. He was co-owner of Roc-A-Fella Records, but at that time the label was mostly a means to release his debut after being turned away by several majors. He kept putting out the idea that he was already a magnate to anyone with a Walkman, while still scrabbling behind the scenes.
Case in point: Two platinum records weren’t enough to convince the copyright holders of the musical “Annie” to clear a sample for Jay-Z’s third album. The multi-billionaire of 2026 might have flashed a wad of cash. ‘90s Jay Z (sans hyphen in several ways) wrote a letter.
It’s just the latest example of Jay-Z putting what he wants out into the universe and getting it back.
“I made up this story about how when I was a seventh grader in Bed-Stuy, our teacher held an essay contest, and the three best papers won the writer a trip to the city to see ‘Annie,’” he told Grantland in 2014. “I wrote that from the moment the curtain came up I felt like I understood honey’s story. Of course, I’d never been to see ‘Annie’ on Broadway. But I had seen the movie on TV.”
That album went platinum six times over, but even in the heady pre-Napster era, that wasn’t private yacht money. You wouldn’t know that if you saw the “Big Pimpin’” video, though. Jay-Z kept up the facade of globe-trotting mogul through several more albums, and that fantasy inched closer to reality with each release. He launched a clothing brand. He opened a nightclub. He was still talent, though, calling for the suits to “pay us like you owe us” on his hit “Izzo.” More than a decade later, Jay-Z would make good on the idea that “money talks so talk more bucks” when he launched a streaming service that paid higher royalty rates than its competitors.
On mic, he started referring to himself as the “best rapper alive.” Knowing that hall-of-famers go out with a bit of ceremony and their jersey in the rafters, he announced a short-lived retirement with “The Black Album.” Briefly free from a grueling release schedule, he bought a stake in the NBA’s Nets and pushed them to move to Brooklyn. He became the CEO of Def Jam Records. His mogul dreams made real, Jay returned to rapping with the flair and distant remove of a bored emperor. He was a moneymaker first and foremost, not a businessman but a business, man. He’d spoken it into existence 16 bars at a time.
In that context, it’s not at all surprising that Jay-Z may have hand-selected himself to headline next year’s Super Bowl halftime show. Puck broke the news that Roc Nation, Jay-Z’s entertainment conglomerate, had tagged the rapper for the championship game. Roc has produced the halftime show for the NFL since 2019, and Jay-Z is currently touring to celebrate the 30th anniversary of his debut album. It would be a natural fit, even without the hitmaker’s behind-the-scenes ties. He’s already a Rock & Roll Hall of Famer. He just wrapped up the release of an eight-part docuseries with producer/guru Rick Rubin on HBO Max.
Pressed on the leaks, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell took on the tone of intelligence services, refusing to confirm or deny the news.
“I am not aware of a leak,” Goodell said in a news conference earlier this week. “I’ve been in the committee meetings. So, I’m not sure it’s a leak. We haven’t announced anything. Until we do, we won’t make any comment on that.”
If it turns out to be true, it’s just the latest example of Jay-Z putting what he wants out into the universe and getting it back. He turned down an offer to perform at the halftime show over a decade ago, telling The New York Times that he did not appreciate the way the league negotiated. Per Jay-Z, the NFL’s offer hung on bringing along Kanye West and Rihanna, who were two-thirds of his 2009 hit “Run This Town.”
“Of course I would have,” Jay-Z said in 2020, “but I said, ‘No, you get me.’ That is not how you go about it, telling someone that they’re going to do the halftime show contingent on who they bring. I said forget it. It was a principle thing.”
Jay-Z got the last laugh. After the 2019 halftime show landed with a thud, he was brought on to produce the event and has helmed it since. Rhonda Byrne told readers that “your thoughts become things.” Jay-Z told us that he would always pick himself. Who does he know fresher than Hov? Riddle him that.
A lot of people have thoughts about Jay-Z reportedly picking himself for the 2027 Super Bowl Halftime Show. One of those people is Joe Budden, who thinks the purported announcement is “anticlimactic.”
During an episode of The Joe Budden Podcast, the host did not candy-coat his feelings. “I’m not excited about it,” he said. “Cool, I’m a Jay-Z fan. So, cool either way. You do it, awesome. You don’t. But am I excited about it? Hell no.”
He then added, “Actually, this is probably the most anticlimactic announcement that you could possibly have.”
Rumors have been swirling that Jay and the Roc Nation team are pushing for him to be the next Halftime Show performer. However, no formal announcement has been made.
It has not been officially announced that Jay-Z will be the 2027 Super Bowl Halftime Performer
While the Super Bowl Halftime Show performer is still technically undetermined, the NFL’s pre-Thanksgiving game will feature an iconic rock band. U2 has been chosen to perform at halftime for the Nov. 25 game between the Packers and Rams.
The game will stream on Netflix, with coverage beginning at 6 p.m. ET / 3 p.m. PT. Kickoff is at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT live from SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California.
“There’s a reason U2 has headlined stadiums for decades: they don’t just perform; they deliver iconic moments audiences remember forever,” said Ted Sarandos, co-CEO of Netflix. “We’re thrilled that they’ll bring that same magic to the NFL stage on Netflix. It’s going to be an unforgettable night for football fans and Netflix members worldwide.”
U2 and Cage The Elephant are both playing NFL halftime shows this year
Additionally, the NFL previously announced that Cage The Elephant will headline a halftime show during the 2026 season. The band will perform at the Munich game between the New England Patriots and Detroit Lions. That game kicks off at 3:30 p.m. CET (9:30 a.m. ET) on Sunday, November 15.
“We have played a lot of shows in Germany over the years, and the crowds here have always given us everything they have,” said Cage the Elephant frontman Matt Shultz. “Playing a halftime show is a completely different animal. You get one shot in front of a stadium and a global audience, and you have to make every second count. We are going to bring the same energy we bring to our own shows, and we cannot wait.”
We’re running out of great options for a Super Bowl halftime show. At the end of the day, it’s about choosing someone who feels larger than life. They have to be recognized by a broad audience of people, proof that they’re a true staple of pop culture. For the last several years, it’s been easy to pick an artist operating at the peak of their powers and popularity. However, 2027 feels like the first year where there’s no obvious answer. Consequently, Jay-Z reportedly found that there’s only one reasonable answer: himself.
Reports are swirling online suggesting that Hov decided he was actually the best option for the next Super Bowl headliner. Ultimately, the timing adds up. He sold out Yankee Stadium numerous nights and consistently booked out massive venues in celebration of his most iconic albums Reasonable Doubt and The Blueprint. They essentially acted as career retrospectives for arguably the greatest rapper to ever live. Moreover, Jay-Z’s gravity as an artist and celebrity let him bring in superstar guests and make the occasions feel like blockbusters.
That same principle would apply to the Super Bowl stage. He has enough mainstream hits to dangle in front of people with passing rap knowledge. Then, he can use the platform to write his grand love letter to hip-hop. Maybe it can even be a launching pad to promote his first album in almost a decade.
More than anything, though, there’s also just a lack of great options.
Why Jay-Z is The Best Option We Have for the 2027 Super Bowl Halftime Show
Who could really fill in the role for one of the biggest performances we have every year? Taylor Swift will always feel like the most obvious pick. She’s the biggest artist in the world, and she has the NFL connection with Travis Kelce.
But there are a couple of problems there for Jay-Z. For starters, it’s increasingly unlikely that she would perform for free. She doesn’t need the extra exposure; it would just be another line on her resume. Additionally, outlets like Time Magazine suggested that a sponsorship clash is the only reason it hasn’t happened sooner.
Kanye West certainly has the resume and the gravitas to pull off a monumental Super Bowl halftime show. However, the controversy around him will always make him an unlikely choice. Jay-Z would never pick Drake due to their quiet civil war. Eminem could be a reliable option, but he feels best suited if the NFL ever moves its big game to Detroit. Other rumored artists like Miley Cyrus and Dua Lipa don’t have the white-hot momentum needed. Every other option has already worked the stage.
In a way, Hov really is the only option that doesn’t feel like an obvious stretch. Maybe it’s overestimating the mainstream’s interest in modern Jay-Z. But given the lack of choices and the timing with his stadium shows, there’s no other time for him to take the stage.
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