These days, rap is embraced by many facets of mainstream media and popular culture, but that wasn’t always the case. The genre was once shunned and looked at as inferior by other musical genres. However, one institution that has come around to hip-hop in a big way has been the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
Established in 1983, and located in Cleveland, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame was created by Atlantic Records founder and chairman Ahmet Ertergun. The Hall is dedicated to archiving the history of some of the most influential artists, producers, engineers and others who have left a lasting impression on the music industry.
When Aerosmith got busy alongside Run-DMC in the 1990s, it was unprecedented. These days, it’s not unusual to see a rocker and a rhymer together on a song, not to mention a rap artist paying homage to artists outside of hip-hop as well.
With icons like Elvis Presley, James Brown, the Beatles, Bob Dylan, the Rolling Stones and Aretha Franklin, among the many legends inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, it was only right the Hall open its doors to the rap artists and hip-hop figures that have also helped change the face of music.
Starting in 2007 with the induction of Grandmaster Flash and The Furious Five, the Hall has been recognizing hip-hop artists and the growing list of rappers who have been inducted now includes some elite company.
Check out the hip-hop artists who have been inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame below.