Shawn Carter to take the 50-yard line at the 2026 Super Bowl
The rapper confirmed he will headline the halftime show in February, a role he helped shape over two decades.
By Samantha Reed ·
Shawn Carter, widely known as Jay-Z, will perform at the 2026 Super Bowl. The announcement resolves a question that lingered since the rapper declared in a March 2026 GQ cover story that the year was all about offense. Now, the artist will stand on the 50-yard line to close out the football season.
The performance is expected to feature his standard hits alongside a heavy dose of sports references. For two decades, Carter has woven basketball, NASCAR, and baseball into his discography. His catalog contains so many athletic nods that some analysts argue it rivals the volume of sports talk found on television.
ESPN ranked the ten most clever sports lyrics in his career ahead of the show. The list includes a 2007 line from "Party Life" where he mentions wearing flashy clothes worthy of an ESPY award. In a 2004 track called "Never Let Me Down," he compares his return to the music scene to NASCAR driver Jeff Gordon claiming pole position.
Other entries reference specific athletes and moments. A 1997 song cites watching Mike Tyson from the 1500 seats in Las Vegas. In 2008, he compared his status in rap to LeBron James during the NBA playoffs. A 2001 verse draws a parallel between his work ethic and the scrambling quarterback Randall Cunningham.
The top of the list features a 2005 collaboration where he likens himself to New York Yankees closer Mariano Rivera. In a 2003 freestyle over a Joe Budden beat, he dismisses his competition by comparing them to washed-up players like Pervis Ellis. The number two spot goes to a 2001 lyric that references Shaquille O'Neal lifting Kobe Bryant.
The number one lyric comes from "Hola Hovito" in 2001. Carter compares his rivals to Sam Bowie, the player the Portland Trail Blazers drafted over Michael Jordan in 1984. He positions himself as the Michael Jordan of the rap world, a comparison that underscores the gap between his legacy and the rest of the field.
The teams for the 2026 championship game have not been named yet. However, the halftime act is set. Carter will be on stage when the football players take the field in February.
Source: ESPN
