Tom Brady walked onto the field to the tune of 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 Wednesday night, kicking off the ceremony with his iconic line, ‘Allow me to reintroduce myself.’
The music legend went on, ‘Foxborough, make some noise! Put one hand in the air for the GOAT, Mr. Tom Brady.’
The seven-time Super Bowl champion then emerged onto the field, making his grand return to the stadium he called home for the majority of his famed NFL career.
‘Jay-Z opening for Tom Brady‘s Patriots Hall of Fame induction! It’s a Goat thang,’ one fan wrote on Twitter.
Another chimed in, ‘Walking out to your hall of fame induction ceremony with Jay-Z Live performing PSA is a flex.’
A third fan wrote, ‘That was epic … from one goat to another goat.’
Back in 2014, Brady told MassLive, ‘I’m a big fan of [Jay-Z],’ after becoming renowned for entering the field to the sound of ‘PSA’ before games.
The pair have been friendly through the years, and have crossed paths at times given Jay-Z’s company Roc Nation’s involvement in the Super Bowl Half Time Show.
Most recently, they linked up with a small group of NFL rookies from the 2024 class for an intimate breakfast hosted by Fanatics CEO, Michael Rubin.
‘Tommy and Jay thank you so much for the invaluable advice and knowledge you shared – this was such an incredible opportunity for these rooks before they take their first snap,’ Rubin captioned a series of Instagram snaps last month, noting the group ‘discussed sports and business.’
Wednesday night, however, 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 pictures alongside Kraft and his wife Dr. Dana Blumberg.
Among the A-listers in attendance at the ceremony included Boston comedian Bill Burr, who delivered an opening monologue that kicked off the proceedings.
A number of 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 longtime rival Peyton Manning made an appearance on stage where the pair recapped key moments in their contentious on-field duels.
Also present was New Jersey native Jon Bon Jovi – who is a close friend of Kraft’s and whose music provided the soundtrack for Patriots touchdowns for years at Gillette Stadium.
Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy was also on hand with three of his employees – a reunion of the group known as the ‘Brady Four’ that were arrested during a sit-in at NFL headquarters in 2015 as a protest of the investigation into ‘Deflategate.’
Across 20 seasons in New England, the QB reached the AFC Championship game 13 times and the Super Bowl nine times, with New England and taking home six titles.
Just a few of Brady’s records include the most passing touchdowns, passing completions, passing yards, and wins for a quarterback.
He was named MVP of the NFL three times and the MVP of the Super Bowl five times – the most of any player.