Jay-Z chose himself, but who will the rap icon choose to add to his Super Bowl halftime show debut?

On Monday Night Football on Oct. 26, Apple Music announced that Jay would be the Super Bowl 61 halftime show headliner. His media company, Roc Nation, has been the producer behind the Super Bowl halftime show since 2019. In 2024, the NFL and Roc Nation extended the contract.

Over the summer, the rap icon hit several stages, showing as he celebrated the 30th anniversary of his debut studio album Reasonable Doubt (1996) and the 25th anniversary of his sixth studio album The Blueprint (2001). He kicked off the tour with three nights at Yankee Stadium, and then he hit London and Paris before returning to the U.S. to close out the tour in Los Angeles at SoFi Stadium.

During night three of his Yankee Stadium tour stop, he brought out A-list artists like his wife, Beyoncé, Rihanna, and more for an unforgettable night. Since Jay is used to making these iconic moments take a look below at some artists that he should bring out.

What Artists Should Jay-Z Invite On Stage?

Beyoncé

Beyoncé would be a perfect choice for several reasons as a surprise guest for the Super Bowl halftime show. She has graced the Super Bowl halftime stage twice. The first time she hit the stage was when she was a headliner in 2013, where she brought out Destiny's Child members Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams. Super Bowl 47 was held at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana.

The Cowboy Carter creator returned to the stage to co-headline alongside Coldplay and Bruno Mars in 2016. Super Bowl 50 was held at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California. She also headlined the NFL Christmas Gameday halftime show in Houston in 2024.

Her experience hitting grand stages multiple times in her career is only the tip of the iceberg as to why Beyoncé should be a special guest at the halftime show. Not only do Beyoncé and Jay have massive hits together, but fans are also still awaiting an Act III announcement from the singer, and while she will most likely keep the spotlight on him, it wouldn't be the first time the couple has used the Super Bowl to introduce new projects.

During Super Bowl 50, immediately after her performance, a television commercial aired announcing the Lemonade Tour. She used a similar formula to announce Cowboy Carter — the second act in her trilogy following 2021's Renaissance — via a Verizon commercial. She then released lead singles “Texas Hold ‘Em” and “16 Carriages” during the halftime show despite not gracing the stage.

She was also part of his Yankee Stadium concert, gracing the stage on the July 10 and July 12 dates. While it's not a clear indication that Beyoncé could be joining the stage with him, as she stayed in the suite for Los Angeles shows, she is the most likely candidate to be seen with Jay on stage at the Super Bowl.

Close up Beyonce and Jayz performing at #Jayz30 !! ❤️ pic.twitter.com/tjRC6E0jpL

— Beyhive ☆ On The Run ☆ (@Beyhiveontherun) July 11, 2026

Blue Ivy

Blue Ivy has been proving that she can not only dance but also play the piano and it would not be surprising if he couple's oldest daughter makes an appearance during Jay's Super Bowl performance.

The 12-year-old has been a part of Beyonce's last two tours — Renaissance and Cowboy Carter — as a principal dancer. For her father, she has played the piano for Jay-Z’s “Feelin' It” “The Story of O.J.” and “Dead Presidents” during his Oct. 24 show at SoFi Stadium.

While this summer seemed like a warm-up for Jay it seems like it could have been some practice for the young Carter as well.

JAŸ-Z brings daughter Blue Ivy onstage tonight at Los Angeles’ SoFi Stadium and she plays the piano during “The Story of O.J.” pic.twitter.com/AoGOmtwsRt

— Pop Core (@TheePopCore) October 24, 2026

J. Cole

Cole is one of the rappers that Jay discovered who has also been carving his own lane in rap for over a decade. He was the first artist signed to Roc Nation which occurred in 2009 after several attempts of Cole trying to get Jay's attention.

The North Carolina native would have wrapped his The Fall Off Tour by the time the Super Bowl comes around. In support of his latest studio album, Cole had a worldwide tour that began in July and will wrap up on Dec. 12 at FNB Stadium in Johannesburg, South Africa.

Cole recently praised Jay for helping with his artist development and giving him the space that he needed to find his way.

“He absolutely gave me all the space to grow as an artist, and the pressure that he did put on me in terms of a single, I needed it n—–, he made a diamond,” Cole told GQ in an interview published on Oct. 28. I would not have been able to become who I am today and where I ended up getting to had he not.”

Putting Cole back on the stage with the man that gave him the opportunity to make rapping his career would be a full circle moment and reflective of Jay's talent seeking out rare talent.

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Rihanna

Another person who falls in the realm of Jay being the starting point of their musical career would be Rihanna. The pop star was signed to a management deal with Roc Nation in 2010 and later became a recording artist under the label in 2014. Rihanna is not far removed from headlining her own Super Bowl performance as she rocked the stage in 2023.

Rihanna also most recently hit the stage for Jay's Yankee Stadium July 12 show date. The two performed “Run This Town,” and then she sang “Bitch Better Have My Money” solo. The sighting of Rihanna on stage was a big moment for fans, given she hasn't performed since the Super Bowl three years ago and before that only at the Academy Awards when her song “Lift Me Up” was nominated for an Oscar from the Black Panther soundtrack.

Not only does Jay-Z have several songs with Rihanna to perform, but the singer also brings the fanfare along with her each time to add to the

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Drake

While Drake and Jay aren't frequent collaborators — the rappers only have five songs together with the last being in 2021 — having the Toronto rapper would bring shockwaves to the internet for several reasons.

Unlike the other artists on the list, Drake has not performed live as much recently despite dropping three albums last year. He does have two live performances under his belt so far this year, he joined Don Toliver on stage in October and performed “Shabang,” “Burning Bridges,” and “Janice STFU” from his Iceman LP for the first time. He also performed “I Want It That Way” alongside the Backstreet Boys which he mixed with his own song, “Hold On, We're Going Home” for his 40th birthday bash.

There is some difficulty in Drake joining Jay on stage given he called him out during his Roots Picnic set after the Toronto rapper used his other moniker Jigga on “Janice STFU.” Additionally, Jay chose Kendrick Lamar to headline the 2025 Super Bowl following their public spat the previous year.

Drake would be difficult to convince but the results would be worth it.

Kanye West

Out of all the names on this list, this would be the one to set the internet on fire. Not only has Kanye and Jay been at odds over the years — Jay even dissed him during his Roots Picnic performance alongside other rappers like Drake — before having such a close knit friendship, Ye has been putting in the work on stage this year too. In September, Ye performed back-to-back nights in his home city of Chicago. He also had two shows overseas in Russia and Indonesia in October. Most recently, he performed on Halloween at Reliant Stadium in Houston where he brought out Playboi Carti and his daughter, North West.

While Ye has been on the outskirts from music following his controversial statements in 2022-2024 which resulted in many companies pulling the plug on partnerships with the rapper, it seems that he could potentially be on the brink of resurgence and a co-sign from Jay would be the ultimate signature