Rap legend Jay-Z has been announced as the headliner for the Super Bowl halftime show in Los Angeles in February 2027.

The announcement is significant because Roc Nation, his entertainment company, has been in charge of curating and producing the halftime show since signing a deal with the NFL in 2019. Reports indicate Jay-Z was selected ahead of other top names like Miley Cyrus and Justin Bieber for the 2027 slot.

This comes after a huge year for the Brooklyn icon. Despite not releasing an album since his double-platinum 4:44 in 2017, his live shows have been massive. He reportedly made 42 million dollars from two sold-out shows at Yankee Stadium in July and another 12 million dollars from a sold-out concert in Paris.

The Super Bowl halftime show remains one of the biggest global TV events, with over 120 million viewers tuning in yearly, often attracting more attention than the game itself.

However, not every superstar has been eager to take the stage.

Jay-Z himself once rejected the offer. In 2017, he turned down the halftime show in solidarity with former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who knelt during the national anthem to protest racial injustice. He referenced it on the track Apeshit with Beyonce, rapping, I said no to the Super Bowl, you need me, I don’t need you.

He later told the New York Times that he also rejected another approach because the NFL wanted him to bring Kanye West and Rihanna to perform Run This Town with him. He said it was a principle thing and that he was told to do the show only if he brought others.

Other major Black artists have also said no in the past for similar reasons.

Cardi B revealed she turned down the 2019 show to stand with Kaepernick, saying there is a man who sacrificed his job for us, so we have to stand behind him.

Rihanna also declined the 2018 halftime show for the same reason. She told Vogue at the time that she could not be a sellout or an enabler of an organization she did not agree with. She later returned to headline the show in 2023, saying it was powerful to break doors and have representation at such a high level.

OutKast legend Andre 3000 also reportedly turned down the 2004 show after the massive success of Speakerboxxx The Love Below because he did not want to shorten their songs to meet the strict time limit.

With Jay-Z now set to take the stage in 2027, it marks a full-circle moment from protest to headliner.