On June 12, Jay-Z took the stage at Gillette Stadium in celebration of Tom Brady’s induction into the Patriots Hall of Fame. Jay-Z opened his set with “Public Service Announcement (Interlude)” from “The Black Album,” which was released in 2003.
The song’s opening line, “Allow me to reintroduce myself,” has been one of the most popular lines in hip-hop.
During the ceremony, Jay-Z energized the audience, calling them to celebrate Brady, “Foxborough, make some noise! Put one hand in the air for the GOAT, Mr. Tom Brady, tonight!”
Brady made his grand entrance, under the sound of Jay-Z rhymes, which drew a thunderous ovation from the stadium crowd where he spent two decades with the New England Patriots.
The connection between Jay-Z and Brady extends beyond this event.
“I’m a big fan of [Jay-Z],” Brady had previously told MassLive in 2014. The song “Public Service Announcement” from Jay-Z’s critically acclaimed The Black Album, which is now four-times platinum, has been a staple in Brady’s pre-game rituals, adding a special layer of significance to the night’s proceedings.
Some fans appreciated the moment, while others questioned Jay-Z’s decision to support Brady but not 50th anniversary of hip-hop.
“Jay didn’t perform at any Hip Hop 50 concerts last year where the fans would’ve known every word to his songs, but he makes time to get ignored by rich folks smh,” a critic stated
Jay-Z has yet to publicly address why he was absent from the special hip-hop 50th anniversary celebrations.