00:00Jay-Z reportedly chooses himself to headline the 2027 Super Bowl Halftime Show.
00:06Jay-Z has reportedly selected himself to headline the Super Bowl 61 Halftime Show.
00:12The game kicks off February 14, 2027 at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California.
00:18Multiple sources say the rap mogul made the call personally.
00:22Neither the NFL nor Roc Nation has confirmed the news.
00:26Through Roc Nation, Jay-Z serves as the NFL's live music entertainment strategist,
00:31giving him the main say on the halftime headliner.
00:34His company has chosen every halftime act since 2019.
00:39Executive producer Jesse Collins has been blunt about it.
00:42It's a decision that Jay makes, Collins has said.
00:45In January 2024, Jay-Z was asked about performing the show himself.
00:50I thought it would be selfish to pick myself too early, he said.
00:54Maybe one year, maybe.
00:56That year apparently has arrived.
00:58Reaction has split sharply.
01:00Critics call it a conflict of interest.
01:03Some have labeled it a naked power play.
01:05Supporters call it a coronation that was always coming,
01:08noting Jay-Z booked others for years before picking himself.
01:12Hip-hop commentator Joe Budden called it,
01:14probably the most anticlimactic announcement that you could possibly have.
01:19He argued the pick lacks the storytelling that powered recent shows.
01:23The timing is no accident.
01:26Jay-Z is closing out a tour celebrating his early albums including his 1996 debut,
01:32Reasonable Doubt, which just turned 30, and The Blueprint, which turned 25.
01:37He sold out three nights at Yankee Stadium, grossing more than $42 million.
01:42The tour ends at SoFi Stadium this weekend, the exact venue hosting Super Bowl 61.
01:49On February 14, 2027, the Kingmaker could finally step into the spotlight he has controlled for years.
01:55Don't do something better...
01:55...
01:55...
01:57Hill
