NFL
By: Mark T. Wilson
It was announced that Jay-Z will be headlining the Halftime Show for Super Bowl LXI, and rightfully so. While some are saying he chose himself over other artists or that he’s being selfish, that couldn’t be further from the truth, in my opinion. The reason this is the best possible outcome is simple. Who deserves it more than Jay-Z?
For years, the Halftime Show has centered on Rock and Country acts, with an occasional Pop and some R&B acts thrown into the mix. However, since Jay-Z and Roc Nation took over, the acts have been more diverse. For some, all they see are the Hip-Hop acts like Dr. Dre, Snoop, Kendrick Lamar, and Eminem. But look at the Latino culture with Shakira, Jennifer Lopez, or the Caribbean culture with Rihanna. Usher and Mary added the R&B side of things, but what’s been missing in the eyes of many are the likes of Taylor Swift or Adele. That’s perfectly fine.
For fans of Jay-Z, this has been on the wish list for years. Many thought he would have been the first act to do it after agreeing to the deal, but Jay played the background instead. He waited his turn, and there is no better time than now. For the past few months, Jay has been on a tear in the Hip Hop world.
It started with the Yankee Stadium shows. 3 SOLD OUT concerts in 3 nights that sent the Hip Hop world into a frenzy. Then Jay took it overseas to London and SOLD OUT 2 more shows there in back-to-back nights. Then he came back to the States and rocked Los Angeles for two straight nights. Now comes the news that he chose himself in what many perceive as a selfish move. Hell no.
Jay has proven to everyone for a year that no other artist can do what he does. And let’s make one thing clear: he’s selling out stadiums for albums that came out 30 years ago. His shows are for specific albums and songs. This is a man who has not dropped a studio album since 2017. Check your calendars; it’s 2026. What other artists can do that?
What makes his decision to do the Halftime Show even more appealing is what Jay has to offer. With all these concerts, Jay-Z has given fans more than they expected. We had appearances by Eminem, Beyoncé, Pharrell, Snoop and Dre, Nas, The Clipse, Fat Joe, Jadakiss, Scarface, and more. Who will Jay bring out to do the Super Bowl? Once again, what other artist can match this man’s discography? And if you want to take it further, what other artist can match the influence he has on Hip-Hop culture?
For the younger generation, he’s more of a businessman than anything. But for those in a specific age group, Jay-Z, Nas, and cats like the Wu-Tang are the last ones standing from a time when Hip-Hop meant something. He’s one of the last ones left to fully understand what it feels like to be shunned by the Super Bowl. There were no real Hip-Hop acts being asked to perform. So, when a person who looks like us gets in a position to showcase our culture and the cultures of those who were shunned for so many years, why not take advantage?
At some point, Jay-Z will wrap it up and finally retire from the game. There will never be another Jay-Z. You see selfishness and greed, but what we see is a kid from Marcy Projects in Brooklyn, NY, taking an opportunity to grace the one stage that he has never performed on. Jay-Z is a global icon and has been for some time now. If this is indeed his Swan song, he couldn’t have picked a better place to go out in style.
