The Jay-Z age question has a quick answer: he is 56, born on December 4, 1969, and he turns 57 a few weeks from now. That means he will be 57 when he headlines the Super Bowl LXI halftime show on February 14, 2027, at SoFi Stadium. It is his first time performing at a Super Bowl, even though his company has produced the show since 2019. Here are the key facts about his age, the show and his career.
How Old Is Jay-Z?
Jay-Z is 56 years old as of November 2026. He was born Shawn Corey Carter on December 4, 1969, in Brooklyn, New York, and grew up in the Marcy Houses public housing project. He turns 57 on December 4, 2026.
| Real name | Shawn Corey Carter |
| Born | December 4, 1969 (age 56) |
| Birthplace | Brooklyn, New York City |
| Grammys | 25, the eighth-most of all time |
| No. 1 albums | 14 on the Billboard 200 |
| Companies | Roc-A-Fella Records (1994), Rocawear (1999), 40/40 Club (2003), Roc Nation (2008) |
| Wealth | About $2.8 billion as of 2026, according to Forbes |
Jay-Z Age at the Super Bowl 2027 Halftime Show
He will be 57 on February 14, 2027. The NFL, Apple Music and Roc Nation announced him on October 26, 2026, Variety reported.
Super Bowl LXI Halftime Show: What We Know
- Date: Sunday, February 14, 2027
- Place: SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California
- Headliner: Jay-Z
- Producers: Roc Nation, with Hamish Hamilton directing
- Where to watch: ABC, ESPN and Disney+, plus NFL+ on mobile
We found no announced guest performers as of mid-November. In his statement, Jay-Z called it “thirty years of music, work, and culture on the world’s biggest stage.”
Why This Show Is Different for Jay-Z
Roc Nation has run the halftime show with the NFL since 2019, and the company signed an extension that runs through 2029. Even so, Jay-Z had never taken the stage himself. Commissioner Roger Goodell said that when the league first made the Roc Nation deal, he had one request: that Jay-Z perform himself whenever the moment felt right to him. The last headliner was Bad Bunny at Super Bowl LX in February 2026, a big part of why he made our list of the top male singers of 2026.
Jay-Z Career in Short
Jay-Z co-founded Roc-A-Fella Records in 1994 to release his first two albums, Reasonable Doubt (1996) and In My Lifetime, Vol. 1 (1997). After that, eleven more of his albums debuted at No. 1, including The Blueprint, The Black Album and 4:44. Then came the executive years. From 2004 to 2007 he ran Def Jam Recordings, where he helped launch Kanye West, Rihanna and Ne-Yo. Later he founded Roc Nation and, in 2015, bought the company behind the streaming service Tidal.
In 2023, Billboard and Vibe ranked him the greatest rapper of all time. With 25 Grammys, he has the second-most of any hip-hop artist. Ahead of the 2027 Grammy nominations, that total puts him in rare company.
Jay-Z Family
Jay-Z married Beyoncé in 2008. They have three children: daughter Blue Ivy and twins Rumi and Sir.
FAQ
How old is Jay-Z right now?
He is 56. He turns 57 on December 4, 2026.
How old will Jay-Z be at the Super Bowl?
57. The game is on February 14, 2027.
Has Jay-Z performed at the Super Bowl before?
No. Super Bowl LXI will be his first time as a performer, although Roc Nation has produced the halftime show since 2019.
What is Jay-Z’s real name?
Shawn Corey Carter.
How much is Jay-Z worth?
Forbes estimates about $2.8 billion as of 2026, which makes him the wealthiest music artist in history by its count.
Photo: Jay-Z during an interview, November 30, 2017, by The New York Times via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0. Cropped and text added by MusiccStar.
