As soon as Jay-Z announced his Super Bowl halftime performance, media, commentators, and fans started speculating about possible guests. And Marshall’s name kept coming up.
Rolling Stone
Almost immediately, Rolling Stone published an article titled “Jay-Z’s Super Bowl LXI Halftime Show Performance: What We Think He’ll Do”. The name explains it all – it is a writer’s prediction of the songs and collaborations that could make up the performance.”. He specifically highlighted “Renegade” as a necessary addition:
“Jay-Z knows how to play the game both ways. He’s sure to make his Super Bowl set sonically malleable for as diverse a crowd as possible, but will balance that focus with carefully curated deep cuts that kill two birds with one stone. While Eminem has already graced the halftime show stage, doing so alongside a fellow G.O.A.T. would make for a historic moment”.
Billboard
Meanwhile, Billboard focused more on the potential guest list than the tracklist. Eminem is one of the names on its dream lineup:
“The pair of rap goliaths reconnected during night two of Jay-Z’s Yankee Stadium trifecta celebrating 25 years of 2001’s The Blueprint, which boasts Jay and Eminem’s intensely debated “Renegade” collaboration. There’s been a mutual respect between Hov and Em in the two decades since the clash, and they could be bringing it to the biggest stage of them all in L.A. — where Em previously popped out back in 2022, for Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg’s Super Bowl LVI Halftime Show at SoFi Stadium”.
HotNewHipHop
This online media started planning Jay-Z’s performance even before it was officially announced, based on rumours and NFL commissioner Roger Goodell’s reluctance to deny them. And they named Eminem among three artists the publication expected to see on stage:
“It is expected that if Jay-Z is the Super Bowl Halftime Show performer, that he brings out people like Beyoncé, Eminem, and Alicia Keys. Some of his biggest hits are with these artists, and there are plenty of casual fans who will want to see those collaborations in action”.
An event like this goes beyond the scope of music media, so other publications have joined the discussion, with many of them independently arriving at the same idea: Eminem could be one of Jay-Z’s guests.
CBS Sports
CBS Sports considers four possible guests, two of them are Jay’s wife and daughter, and then Rihanna and Eminem:
“Slim Shady joined Jay Z on stage during his current tour, and the two could have another reunion at the Super Bowl. The two collaborated on the song “Renegade” on Jay-Z’s album The Blueprint.
Like the others on the list, Eminem has experience as an NFL performer. His comes via the 2022 Super Bowl, where he was a special guest on an iconic hip-hop lineup”.
International Business Times UK
The British publication extends the list of potential guests up to 8, mentioning Eminem as “a longtime collaborator” in the lead next to Beyoncé. They paid special attention to Jay’s recent stage reunion with Marshall:
“Eminem Could Bring Back ‘Renegade’ Classic With Jay-Z
Eminem and Jay-Z’s partnership goes back decades. Their 2001 collaboration, ‘Renegade’, became a hit on Jay-Z’s album, The Blueprint.
The rappers reunited on 11 July 2026, during Jay-Z’s Yankee Stadium concert, before Eminem played his own hit, ‘Lose Yourself’.
Eminem also participated in the 2022 Super Bowl halftime show at SoFi Stadium.
A 2027 reunion would bring him back to the stadium alongside his longtime collaborator”.
Forbes
This respectable magazine takes a more cautious approach, pointing out that Eminem is being named as a potential guest by others. Forbes also looks at betting platforms, noting that Eminem is mentioned there as well but lists him as a longshot.
With only 13–15 minutes available for a halftime set, Jay-Z obviously won’t be able to bring everyone mentioned by eager fans. But it is almost as clear that there will be guests. It is almost a tradition now to share a spot with a collaborator (or five, as in Dr. Dre’s case). In recent 20 years, only five artists performed solo at a halftime show. Besides, as fans point out, so many of Jigga’s hits are collaborations.
There will be plenty of time for more speculation before Jay-Z steps into the limelight at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, on 14 February 2027.