Should rappers/hip-hop artists be inducted in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame?

[Bloodline666]

I just found out yesterday that Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five will be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame this Sunday, making the first rap/hip hop group to be inducted in said Hall of Fame. The other inductees this year are R.E.M., The Ronettes, Patti Smith, and Van Halen (who I felt should've been inducted immediately after gaining eligibility, given the legacy of Eddie Van Halen and how many people he influenced and inspired to pick up the six-stringed axe during the 80s).

I felt like I should bring this to the attention of you people, because I know there's a lot of rockers out here (like myself, though I'm actually a metalhead), as well as a lot of hip hop fans, including fans of either genre that detest the other (for those people, please try to keep it civilized in here). I also felt that I should address a question and get you're opinions as to whether or not rap/hip hop should be included in the storied museum located in Cleveland, Ohio.

Keep in mind, though, that while rap music has been around for about 3 decades and started gaining mainstream exposure in the 80s, the one thing that has mainly kept hip hop out of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is their eligibility requirement; an artist/group's debut release must have released an album a minimum of 25 years prior, and rap/hip hop is a relatively new genre (rock, in contrast, has been around for over half a decade).

This historic occasion brings up my question: Should rappers be inducted in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, or should the rap/hip hop genre have its own Hall of Fame? (By the way, Country music has its own Hall of Fame, and only two artists that I'm aware of are inducted in that Hall of Fame, and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame; Elvis Presley and Johnny Cash)

[Dreddz]

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is so irelevent to anything going on in society we shouldnt really care who goes on it.

[Hazzard]

I think Rap and rock creates a good combination-look at the 'Neptunes' for example.

[Mirage]

Sure, if they start adding techno and country as well.

Other than that, I really don't care. I didn't even know there was a rock and roll hall of fame until now, and I will probably never bother checking what groups are in it.

[Tavrobel]

They should get their own, not that it matters.

[Ryth]

They should get their own, not that it matters.

Well said.

[Nominus Experse]

I agree with Tav

[chrisfffan]

rap and hip hop isn’t real music all you need is a good beat and a guy raping about how many times he has got shot theirs no singing involved and it makes me laugh when they make out there gangsters its all pr.

[escobert]

rap and hip hop isn’t real music all you need is a good beat and a guy raping about how many times he has got shot theirs no singing involved and it makes me laugh when they make out there gangsters its all pr.

Maybe you should listen to anything other than 50 cent before you start making assumptions.

[Hazzard]

Exactly, obviously you don't have a clue what Rap/Hip Hop is about. Hip Hop is there to make you wanna dance and sing, and rhyme along to casual lyrics. While Rap is usually about past life experiences for rappers, or something they feel they need to get off their chest. They also might want to advertise something through their lyrics, for example...Mike Jones-Grillz.

[fire_of_avalon]

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame really is a big joke. They don't induct musicians based on talent, message, or total body of work. They're inducted based mostly on marketability for the Hall of Fame. That's why some groups, after having reached eligibility, go years without being inducted.

But there's no real reason rap and hip hop artists shouldn't be inducted. There are already blues, doo wop, pop etc. musicians that have been inducted.

And Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five are kickass.

[Momiji]

I say absolutely not. Rap and rock are completely 2 different genres. Not to mention, there isn't ONE rapper in the world that could stand up to the greatness that is Eddie Van Halen.

[fire_of_avalon]

Ugh, not even all those inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of fame are musicians, let alone rock and roll musicians. The R&R HoF inducts singers, songwriters, instrumentalists, disc jockeys, producers and music journalists, among others.

James Brown was inducted, and he didn't perform rock music. He performed soul. Clearly, it doesn't matter what genre of music you perform, as long as you're a big name.

[Rocket Edge]

Ugh, not even all those inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of fame are musicians, let alone rock and roll musicians. The R&R HoF inducts singers, songwriters, instrumentalists, disc jockeys, producers and music journalists, among others.

James Brown was inducted, and he didn't perform rock music. He performed soul. Clearly, it doesn't matter what genre of music you perform, as long as you're a big name.

If that's the case, of course they should be allowed.

[El Bandito]

Though it's called the "Rock and Roll" Hall of Fame, it was founded in the spirit of all genres. Having a different place for every single genre of music would be a ridiculous motion. This is the oldest and biggest, so it's easiest to turn this one into the main music hall of fame. They won't change the name for history's sake of course.

As for rap, it's music, so it deserves to go into the Hall. I couldn't think of any better artists to make it first before Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five.

EDIT: And it's a silly thing to think induction "legitimizes" hip-hop. It's already proved to be much more than the "fad" that people thought it was during the '70s. To say Hip-Hop isn't a major player in the music industry today would be pure ignorance.