Rap Music Should Be Included In Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame
*sigh*
I can't help from taking a deep breath before writing this post about whether or not rap should be included in the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame.
A fellow Yahoo! Music blogging comrade saw a lot of Twitter
chatter about LL Cool J making the list of nominees to be inducted in March
2010.
I took a look and found four main objective opinions being expressed. Of course, there were people, like myself, who were in agreement with LL's nomination. But there were just as many with opposing point of views.
Some felt that because rap music is not technically rock and roll, it should not be included in the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. Others said that LL Cool J had no business being inducted ahead of particular artists. And another subset of folks didn't think LL Cool J was worthy of the prestigious honor at all.
Got a minute? We need to talk.
One tweeter annoyed by LL's inclusion posted a comment that made me laugh. "It says ROCK and roll, not rap and roll," @moviequill wrote. I understand the confusion here. Rock is a clearly defined genre. When you are in a record store, and you walk into the rock section, you will not find any hip hop albums.
However, people are taking the Rock And Hall Of Fame title too literally. The organization clearly was not founded with the intent of only recognizing the contributions from artists who solely recorded rock songs.
According to the organization's website, the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame
Foundation was created to "honor the men and women who have made unique
contributions to the energy and evolution of rock and roll."
For specific examples, click here to take a look at the list of artists who have been inducted over the last 24 years. You will find artists from several popular genres-rock, R&B, country, blues, and pop.
In fact, the first group of inductees back in 1986 included a diverse makeup
of musicians-Robert Johnson, James Brown, and the Everly Brothers. So to
@moviequill's point, while the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame is not called the Rap
And Roll Hall Of Fame, it is also not called Blues And Roll, Soul And Roll, or
Country And Roll, yet the aforementioned artists were included alongside the
likes of Elvis Presley, Chuck Berry, and Jerry Lee Lewis.
Despite its genre specific title, I've always grouped the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame along with the Grammys, and American Music Awards, as entities that recognized the best in popular music.
Besides the questions about the fundamental structure of the Hall Of Fame awards, I consider fair any debates about whether or not particular rap artists should be included.
Tweets from @TheJeSSe1, @NSRGarret, and @FailBlogger argue that Journey, Kiss and Genesis take priority over the Queens, New York-bred rapper who scored his first hit "I Need A Beat" in 1985 when he was 16.
As a rap fan, I support LL's nomination. He has sold 20 million albums. He
has remained relevant and influential his entire career. He was the first flagship
artist signed to the legendary Def Jam Records. LL has also maintained a
successful acting career.
Additionally, I am pleased with the two previous rap inductees. Run-D.M.C. joined the Hall Of Fame earlier this year, and Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five were welcomed into the museum in 2007.
The inclusion of hip hop artists has sparked such debate
because there are so few rap artists in the Hall Of Fame. Since the Hall Of
Fame ceremony has been around for 24 years, and the first rap group was not included
until 2007, it seems all-of-a-sudden and out-of-the-ordinary.
However, there is a reason why rappers have only recently come up in the voting. In order to be considered for induction, an artist must have released a record 25 years prior to the induction.
There aren't very many rappers who have been around for 25 years.
By comparison, you have to consider that rap is still a relatively new genre that didn't impact the mainstream until the Sugarhill Gang's "Rapper's Delight" hit in 1979.
A committee determines the nominees. And afterwards, an international group of music industry professional vote for the winners.
However, I can think of a few other non-rock artists (i.e. r&b, rap, and pop artists) who had their 1st hit album 25 yrs. ago who should be included now, instead of Cool J.
Well, like it or not pop, folk, and R&B all have made contributions to the EVOLUTION of rock and roll because a lot of it it is distilled, watered-down rock or else rock incorporates elements of those genres. Rap has no relation rock at all, and it is not even music.
I never liked Rock and Roll, that stuff sucks...