Well, it's about time. A rapper has finally been inducted to the Songwriters Hall of Fame. Yep, it's true: The HOF has never ever inducted a rap lyric writer — ever. This is why Jay Z's induction into the Songwriters Hall of Fame is long overdue. I mean, come on, it's no secret that Jay has written well over 100 songs during his illustrious career, right?
According to Just Jared, the 47-year-old hip-hop mogul's undeniable talent has managed to garner him 21 Grammy Awards and over 100 million albums sold since his debut Reasonable Doubt dropped in 1996. So it goes without saying that Jay Z more than worthy of the huge honor. And as an avid fan, I've got to admit that I'm incredibly excited to see the hip-hop legend make this huge mark on history. However, I'd be remiss if I didn't recognize the fact that there are so many other hip-hop lyricists who have been worthy of the same accolade.
I mean, it's clearly obvious that getting into the SW Hall of Fame is not an easy task, by any means. And let's also take into account the fact that songwriters do not become eligible for induction until they have a proven track record of writing hit songs for at least 20 years. But even with those obstacles factored in, there are still dozens of eligible rap writers that have been left out in the cold when it comes to the huge achievement.
Let's take, for example, Missy Elliot — she's written close to 100 songs, dating all the way back to 1993; yet, she's somehow been overlooked for induction. How about the iconic rappers Nas, Tupac, and Notorious B.I.G.? They're all arguably considered to be the best lyricists of all time, but still, no dice.
And if you really wanna take it old school, let's discuss hip-hop legends, Rakim, Slick Rick, Queen Latifah, and KRS-One that all have never been considered, despite being eligible for many years. I mean, the list of possible candidates literally goes on and on; Ice Cube, Lauryn Hill, Eminem, André 3000, and several members of the Wu Tang Clan would all serve as worthy inductees — if the Hall would only let its guard down when it comes to hip-hop music.
I guess it is worth noting that Jay slid past some pretty big nominees this year. George Michael, Madonna, Bryan Adams, Kool & the Gang and Gloria Estefan were all nominated but didn't make the cut for 2017's list, according to SongHall.org.
And with only five songwriters (or songwriting groups) inducted each year, we have to start somewhere. I really do hope now that Hov's in, more hip-hop artists will be considered in the future, because there's certainly enough talent to go around.
Congratulations, Jay Z. Now I'll be keeping my fingers crossed that Minaj gets in, when she's finally eligible. #NickiMinaj2027?
