Should Rap/Hip Hop artists be eligible for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame?

1. 90

   spartucusjonesposted 12 years ago

   Should Rap/Hip Hop artists be eligible for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame?

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2. 87

   TheMagicianposted 12 years ago

   Hmm. I think so, but I do think it should take a HUGE amount of talent for that to occur. Not saying that rappers aren't talented, but it's a lot easier to have a beat put together for you and write some lyrics than rhyme instead of having a whole band put their blood, sweat, and tears into every instrument they play and every note they write.
   
   Needless to say, Lil' Wayne or Nicki Minaj wouldn't come close to being eligible. I really can't think of any hip hop or rap artists that would since it's not much my forte. There are many very talented rappers and hip hop artists, though.
   
   I mean, I'd say why not have a Hip Hop Hall of Fame, but that'd be pretty moot since even Michael Jackson was inducted into the R&RHoF.

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3. 61

   ackman1465posted 12 years ago

   For the same reason that I wouldn't expect to see Mozart in the R&R Hall of Fame, I wouldn't expect to see rap/hip-hop performers there.   These are really sufficiently different forms of music such that they could be justified to be kept separate....

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4. 93

   peeplesposted 12 years ago

   No. The Rock and Roll hall of fame should be for rock. There should be something  seperate for each major group of music. I am a fan of all music however it simply makes no sense to add rap to the Rock and Roll Hall of fame. That would be like giving a football player a baseball award.

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5. 61

   randy360posted 12 years ago

   I don't think so, rap and hip hop can't hold a flame to Rock, they make up words and distort a word to make it rhymn with pretty much anything. I'm not much of a rap fan, the beat is good to dance too but listening to the lyrics any person can do it. I will admit there may be a song that can be listened to but its a needle in a hay stack kind of thing, rap is just filled with horrible songs coated with good beats. Like this comedian I heard tell a joke about how women can dance to the music and say its her song even though the songs lyrics say- slap a b#@$%, choke a b@534. It just doesn't make sense.

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6. 90

   spartucusjonesposted 12 years ago

   Thanks for the responses, many valid points. At this point I don't want to weigh in with my opinion. But I want to throw a couple of follow up questions into the equation.
   
   Does it make a difference if a Hip Hop/Rap artists plays their own instruments?
   For example this was the case of many of the alternative hip hop artists of the 90's, such as The Roots (who don't the meet the 25 year requirement yet)
   
   Concerning lyrics what about those hip hop artists (which applies to a number of the Golden age of rap artists of the 80's) who actually did rap about real life political and social issues. Would they be more deserving than those who resort to constant profanity and sexism?
   
   What if a Rap artist includes elements of rock into his sound and even has had a direct influence on rock artists should he be considered?
   
   What if the artist gets a lot of modern rock radio play and maybe even had it's roots in hardcore punk (like 2012 inductees The Beastie Boys) does that make a difference?

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