As the first living solo rap musician to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Jay-Z made history over the weekend.
Introduced by former U.S. president Barack Obama and comedian Dave Chappelle, during his acceptance speech, the 51-year-old addressed his childhood belief that rappers could ever be inducted into the Hall of Fame.
Born Shawn Carter, the famous rapper stated: “Thank you, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, for this incredible honour. And you know, growing up, we didn’t think we could be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. We were told that hip-hop was a fad,” the hitmaker began. “Much like punk rock, it gave us this anti-culture, this subgenre, and there were heroes in it.”
Thanking his mother, Gloria Carter, his sister, and business partners Tyran ‘Ty Ty’ Smith and Damon Dash, Jay-Z made specific mention of Notorious B.I.G., Rakim, Big Daddy Kane, KRS-One, Chuck D, and fellow inductee, LL Cool J – who he said sported “big gold chains and leather and sometimes even the red, black, green medallions and whatever they wore, everybody would wear the next day. I was like, ‘That’s what I want to do. I want to be like those guys.’ And so I set out on my journey.” “Hopefully, I’m informing the next generation that anything is possible. “We did it, Brooklyn!”
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Author: Al Denté
Photo: Neomusicstore