The 25-year (and still going) existence of seminal rap crew Public Enemy and their relevancy in today’s crowded market serves as a testament to front man Chuck D’s insistence to keep up with current trends and not fading away. Although not as sonically linked, pioneering rap quintet of Dr. Dre, Ice Cube, the late Eazy-E, MC Ren and DJ Yella—collectively known as N***az With Attitudes (N.W.A) – has maintained legendary status although the group has long been defunct. Just today, the two groups were announced as nominees for the coveted Rock ‘N Roll Hall Of Fame inductions reports New York Daily News.
Joining PE and N.W.A on the nominees list is the late Donna Summer, who passed away this past May after a long bout with lung cancer. Summer’s disco contemporaries, Chic, were also nominated and have the distinction of holding the record for most Hall Of Fame rejections at seven; Summer herself has been rejected five times prior but may be inducted posthumously.
Both Public Enemy and N.W.A’s legacies are intact, as the groups helped to propel Hip-Hop internationally in the mid-1980s. Public Enemy made their splash in 1987 with their debut album Yo! Bum Rush The Show and injected a raw and frenetic energy to the rap landscape. Chuck D’s distinctive and booming baritone still sends chills, even at 52 years of age.
N.W.A began their reign on the charts in 1988 with the groundbreaking Straight Outta Compton album. Releasing only two LPs as group, the crew disbanded in 1991 over infighting and money issues. Dr. Dre and Ice Cube would go on to have stellar solo careers while Eazy-E and MC Ren never quite hit the heights their former band members achieved.
The inductees will be announced sometime in early December. The 28th Annual Rock ‘N Roll Hall Of Fame induction ceremony is slated to take place on April 18, 2013.
Best of luck and congratulations to Public Enemy and N.W.A!
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Photo: NWA
