Tom Brady took the field to Jay-Z’s hit song ‘Public Service Announcement’ countless times throughout his career.
Before celebrating the quarterback’s induction into the Patriots Hall of Fame, the rapper made a surprise appearance at Gillette Stadium to perform the song in person.
Jay-Z emerged from a smoke-filled stage in front of more than 60,000 people in Foxborough, Massachusetts, on Wednesday night, kicking off the ceremony with his iconic line, “Let me reintroduce myself.”
The music legend continued: ‘Foxborough, make some noise! Raise a hand for the GOAT, Mr. Tom Brady.
The seven-time Super Bowl champion then took the field, making his grand return to the stadium he called home for most of his storied NFL career.
Jay-Z made a surprise appearance to perform his hit song ‘Public Service Announcement’
Tom Brady walked onto the field to the song countless times throughout his career.
‘Jay-Z opens for Tom Brady’s Patriots Hall of Fame induction! “It’s something goat,” wrote one fan on Twitter.
Another chimed in: “Attending the hall of fame induction ceremony with Jay-Z Live performing a public service announcement is a flexibility.”
A third fan wrote: “That was epic… from goat to goat.”
In 2014, Brady told MassLive, “I’m a big fan of (Jay-Z),” after becoming famous for entering the field to the sound of “PSA” before games.
The pair have been friendly over the years and have occasionally crossed paths due to Jay-Z’s company, Roc Nation, participating in the Super Bowl halftime show.
Most recently, they met with a small group of NFL rookies from the class of 2024 for an intimate breakfast hosted by Fanatics CEO Michael Rubin.
“Tommy and Jay thank you so much for the valuable advice and knowledge you shared; this was an incredible opportunity for these rooks before they made their first move,” Rubin captioned a series of Instagram snaps last month, noting that the group “discussed about sports”. and business.’
“Raise a hand for the GOAT, Mr. Tom Brady,” Jay-Z said as Brady walked onto the field.
Tom Brady photographed with Robert Kraft on the red carpet for his induction into the Patriots Hall of Fame
On Wednesday night, however, it was all about Brady, as Boston sports fans, Patriots team legends, and celebrities from across New England attended his HoF ceremony.
Brady arrived about an hour before his ceremony officially began at Gillette Stadium and took photos alongside Kraft and his wife, Dr. Dana Blumberg.
Among the celebrities present at the ceremony was Boston comedian Bill Burr, who delivered an opening monologue that kicked off the proceedings.
Several former players also offered their congratulations, including Ed Reed, Ray Lewis, Michael Strahan, Jason Taylor, Eli Manning, Charles Woodson, Richard Sherman and Patrick Mahomes.
At one point, Brady’s old rival, Peyton Manning, made an appearance on stage where the pair recapped key moments from their controversial on-field duels.
Brady won six titles with New England, the last against the Rams in Super Bowl LIII.
Dave Portnoy of Barstool Sports and three of his employees were also invited to the ceremony.
Also present was New Jersey native Jon Bon Jovi, who is a close friend of Kraft and whose music followed the Patriots’ touchdowns for years at Gillette Stadium.
Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy was also there with three of his employees, a reunion of the group known as the ‘Brady Four’ who were arrested during a sit-in at NFL headquarters in 2015 to protest the investigation into the ‘Deflategate’.
Over 20 seasons in New England, he reached the AFC Championship game 13 times and the Super Bowl nine times, with New England taking home six titles.
Just a few of Brady’s records include most touchdown passes, completions, passing yards and wins by a quarterback.
He was named NFL MVP three times and Super Bowl MVP five times, the most of any player.