Lil Jon Backs Jay-Z Decision To Book Himself As Super Bowl Pick

Lil Jon backed Jay-Z’s decision to book himself for the 2027 Super Bowl halftime show and said he would have done it too.

“I think it’s great for him,” he told Andy Cohen during an appearance on SiriusXM‘s “Andy Cohen Live.”

“Honestly, I probably would have done the same thing. Eventually, I would have pushed myself in there too. I’m not mad at him at all, and I’m sure he’s going to bring out a lot of special guests. He’s already been testing it out in a lot of his shows this year, seeing who he might wanna bring. And he’s already figuring it out,” Lil Jon explained.

He also expected special guests, citing Jay-Z’s recent concerts as a chance to test potential pairings.

Jay-Z will headline the February 14, 2027 show at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California. The booking puts him in front of the halftime audience after years of helping Roc Nation shape who gets that platform through its work with the NFL.

The company began working with the league in 2019. Recent halftime headliners have included Rihanna, Usher and Kendrick Lamar. Jay-Z has never performed at the Super Bowl, though his concert run this year brought him to SoFi for shows on October 23 and 24.

Lil Jon’s own halftime experience came with Usher in 2024. He told Cohen he served as musical director and performer after directing Usher’s Las Vegas residency. He also thanked Usher for making space for “Turn Down For What” when the singer could have used that time for more of his own songs.

That guest spot involved more than showing up on game day.

“That was an awesome experience too. Not many people can say they were musical director for a Super Bowl halftime as well as performing,” Lil Jon said.

As AllHipHop previously reported, Lil Jon said Justin Bieber had been invited to join Usher’s set but passed before rehearsals began. In explaining that decision, he described a job that required a major commitment of time, practice and preparation for a huge audience.

Bieber still attended the game to support Usher. Onstage, Lil Jon joined Usher and Ludacris for “Yeah!” The set also brought out Alicia Keys, H.E.R., will.i.am and Jermaine Dupri, giving the singer several reunions and guest moments within one halftime performance.

Choosing what to leave out was its own challenge.

In a later appearance on “The Jennifer Hudson Show,” Lil Jon said building Usher’s setlist had been the toughest part. Usher kept revising the selections as the team worked to represent his catalog without disappointing fans. Those changes continued until the end.