Very few events grasp the nation’s attention like the Super Bowl.
Each February, the NFL’s top teams come together for a head-to-head competition to determine who will be crowned the national football champion for the year. Although the game is the primary reason for the gathering, the Super Bowl is also home to one of the biggest cultural gatherings — the Halftime Show.
The History Of The Super Bowl Halftime Show
The Halftime Show didn’t have a lot of excitement in its early iterations. According to the New York Times, the first Super Bowl, in 1967, included collegiate marching bands, with Grambling State University and the University of Arizona being the first to perform. This mid-show performance would set the standard for the next two decades.
Though New Kids On The Block signaled a shift in 1991 to modernize the format, things drastically changed in 1993 when Michael Jackson took the field in an iconic performance. This set the stage for some of the entertainment industry’s most popular superstars to showcase their work for the 12–15-minute time slot.
Time For A Change
Since then, the Halftime Show has been an iconic part of every Super Bowl event. However, some would argue that the highly anticipated moment was not the most diverse or reflective of the overall makeup of the American population, among other issues. This dynamic would change in 2019, when Jay-Z and his entertainment company Roc Nation became the curators of the sought-after performance slot. And with Kendrick Lamar and the strength of “Not Like Us” heading into New Orleans, LA, for this year’s performance, many have wondered how Jay-Z got into this influential position.
The move surprised many, as the music mogul has been openly critical of performing at the Super Bowl.
“I said no to the Superbowl/ You need me, I don’t need you/ Every night we in the endzone/ Tell the NFL we in stadiums too,” he rapped in his song “APESH-T” with his wife, Beyoncé.
Jay-Z Enters The Chat
So what changed? The 54-year-old still hasn’t headlined the event, but his tone has changed. The NFL found itself at an inflection point. Following the NFL’s response to player Colin Kaepernick’s silent protest against police brutality by kneeling during the national anthem in 2016, game ratings experienced a decline, ESPN reported.
New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft noticed the problem and, along with other NFL team owners, decided that something needed to change to improve the organization’s ratings and its attempt to be a voice for social justice.
According to sources, Kraft reached out to the Brooklyn, NY-born rapper, urging, “The NFL isn’t picking up on these social issues. We need your help.” Kraft then coordinated a meeting with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell to meet with him and Jay-Z, resulting in a game-changing partnership between the NFL and Roc Nation.
Jay-Z And The Bigger Picture
This collaboration put the “Empire State of Mind” rapper in charge of shaping the coveted Super Bowl Halftime Show, resulting in Roc Nation inking a five-year, $25 million deal with the NFL in 2019. The deal was focused on reimagining the halftime show and advancing the league’s social justice agenda.
However, not everyone saw this move as the positive shift needed to drive change. According to a separate New York Times article, Carolina Panthers safety Eric Reid, who joined Kaepernick in a lawsuit against the NFL, called Roc Nation’s deal with the league “kind of despicable” during a locker room interview.
Despite the criticism, Jay-Z said he’s willing to take the heat if it means using the NFL’s platform to raise awareness among white football fans about the importance of addressing police brutality. “As long as real people are being hurt and marginalized and losing family members, then yes, I can take a couple rounds of negative press,” he explained.
Making Sure Hip-Hop Gets Its Flowers
In a Business Insider report, Jay-Z shared that he also saw this as an entry point to ensure the Halftime Show was more Hip-Hop-inclusive.
“I think that for a long time, and not just the NFL, but America, in general, looked at rap as this fad thing,” he said via the outlet. “It’s the No. 1 genre in the world and has been that way… So I would love for these platforms as being more inclusive of our music.”
Although Hip-Hop has not been the only genre represented since the Roc Nation deal, the artist selection has become more diverse with performances from Shakira and Jennifer Lopez (2020); The Weeknd (2021), Dr. Dre feat. Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Mary J. Blige, Kendrick Lamar, 50 Cent and Anderson .Paak (2022); Rihanna (2023); Usher (2024); and an upcoming performance from Lamar in 2025.
