Greatness always recognizes greatness. Jay-Z surprised the thousands of fans packing Gillette Stadium on Wednesday night (June 12) when he opened up Tom Brady’s Patriots Hall of Fame induction ceremony in Massachusetts.
Hov emerged from the smoke filling the stage with his epic “Public Service Announcement” opening line: “Allow me to reintroduce myself.” Fans were initially caught off-guard and seemingly had no idea that rap royalty was in front of their eyes.
“Foxborough, make some noise!” Jay said during a pause in the action, with Young Guru manning the boards behind him. “Put one hand in the air for the GOAT, Mr. Tom Brady, tonight!”
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Perfectly timed, Brady executed a grand entrance and drew an ovation from the crowd in the stadium he once called home as a member of the New England Patriots for 20 years. Now, no Patriot will ever wear No. 12 again with his jersey in the rafters.
TB12 made a habit of coming out to “PSA” during pre-games while suiting up for the Patriots at Gillette Stadium and delivering his signature fist pump along with a “Let’s go!”
“I’m a big fan of [Jay-Z],” Brady told MassLive in 2014.
“Public Service Announcement” served as a Just Blaze-produced interlude on The Black Album, which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 in November 2003. The LP is currently four-times platinum, per the RIAA.
Jay-Z and Tom Brady have been friendly when crossing paths over the years. Jay serves as the NFL’s music entertainment strategist, with Roc Nation helming the Super Bowl halftime show each year.
More recently, Jigga and the seven-time Super Bowl champ have typically been together attending events curated by Fanatics CEO and mutual friend Michael Rubin. Back in May, Rubin had Jay and Brady come and speak at a luncheon for rookie NFL players after they were drafted to give them tips on how to navigate fame and their newfound celebrity status.
