Tupac Shakur is going to be enshrined in the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame in 2017. Congrats to him. He should not be going in there before LL Cool J though.
The criteria to enter the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame is that an artist obviously have an impact on the musical genre that they worked in. But more specifically, an artist becomes eligible 25 years after they’ve released their first record.
As far as Hip-Hop is concerned, we only have six inductees. Run-DMC, Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, The Beastie Boys, Public Enemy, NWA and now Tupac.
LL Cool J has been releasing music since 1985. He’s released more music than any of the artists named above. He actually has more memorable hit songs than any of the artists above. Why is he not in there yet? More specifically, why is Tupac going in before him? If Tupac is known for “rapping for the women” as he once said, who was doing it before him? Every other image of ‘Pac is a shirtless one, who was doing that before him?
Earlier this year, Chuck D himself, who was enshrined in 2013 with PE, brought this oversight to light.
He is absolutely right. Really, LL probably should’ve been going in there before both PE and NWA.
Here are some reasons why LL should be in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame before Tupac.
Photo: AP
