How hip-hop came to dominate the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame
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Outkast will be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in November. Photo: Prince Williams/WireImage
Hip-hop isn't exactly rock 'n' roll, but the genre has become a dominant force in the museum that honors the music made famous by Chuck Berry and Elvis Presley.
Why it matters: Outkast and Salt-N-Pepa's inductions this November will continue hip-hop's Rock & Roll Hall of Fame winning streak over the past decade.
- It also fuels the Rock Hall's most heated debate over which genres and artists should or shouldn't be honored.
Flashback: Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five became the first hip-hop act inducted in 2007.
- The inductions of Run-DMC, Beastie Boys and Public Enemy followed over the next several years.
By the numbers: Things have picked up with 11 more hip-hop artists being inducted since 2016, including this year's inductees.
- 2023 saw Missy Elliott become the first female rap act to earn induction. That same year, the Rock Hall opened Holla If Ya Hear Me, a huge exhibit celebrating the 50th anniversary of hip-hop.
What they're saying: "The Rock Hall's success in getting hip-hop artists inducted is a reflection of their focus primarily on the genre's biggest names," says Neil Walls, founder of Future Rock Legends, a website covering the Rock Hall.
- "Getting inducted in your first year of eligibility is the sign of an undeniable Hall of Fame career, and five of the last six artists to go in that way are from hip-hop," Walls tells Axios.
The other side: That success rate has drawn the ire of "rock" purists who believe the museum should focus on guitar-driven acts.
- Even Jay-Z (inducted in 2021) was initially skeptical of rock 'n' roll's connection to hip-hop, calling for the museum to become the "Hip-Hop Hall of Fame."
Yes, but: John Sykes, the chairman of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Foundation who changed Jay-Z's mind, has asserted the name won't change.
- "Rather than throwing the name out, it's doing a better job of communicating to people where rock and roll came from and what it's truly about," he told Vulture. "Once they hear it that way, they understand."
What's next: Hip-hop's streak with the Rock Hall will likely slow, Walls believes, pointing to a lack of obvious inductees from the genre in the coming years.
- "That dominance doesn't look sustainable," he says. "The predominant story for the next 20 years of the Rock Hall won't be about rock or hip-hop artists. It will be built around pop superstars."