Jay Z is the first rapper to be named as an inductee for the Songwriters Hall of Fame and he celebrated the accomplishment on Twitter today (February 22), saying he knows he’s representing the entire Hip Hop community.
Legendary songwriter and producer Nile Rodgers announced the inductees this morning on CBS This Morning after it was revealed Hov was nominated for the honor back in October.
Jay Z is being acknowledged for his extensive career — artists are eligible after they have been songwriting for 20 years — and pushing the boundary of what is considered “classical music.” Rodgers explained why it took so long for a rapper to be recognized by the Hall, which was established in 1969.
“Jay Z is in a space where even though he’s had more pop albums than anyone else, because he did it through rap, which is not traditionally considered the pop music scene,” he says. “It’s great.”
Rodgers continues by explaining the impact that Jigga has had on the industry as a whole.
“He has changed the way that we listen to music,” he shares. “He’s changed the way that we have fun. He’s changed the way that we cry.”
Warner/Chappell Chairman & CEO Jon Platt, who revolutionized the music publishing industry by making producers foot the bill for samples, allowing songwriters to retain more of their own money, also released a statement about the importance of Jay Z being the first rapper named as an inductee into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. The exec has followed Hov’s career from the beginning, as he signed the rapper right after the release of his 1996 debut project.
“Since his debut album, Reasonable Doubt, was released over two decades ago, it’s been an incredible honor to work with the greatest MC of all time as he continues to achieve the unprecedented,” Platt says. “Today, his songwriting is celebrated with a new, landmark achievement: being inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. With this announcement, Jay is also the first rap artist to ever be inducted into the SHOF. This is an enormous accomplishment for Jay, as well as on behalf of fellow hip-hop songwriters everywhere, as he takes his place alongside past inductees and legends, ranging from Bob Dylan to Stevie Wonder, and Marvin Gaye to Lennon & McCartney. All of us at Warner/Chappell can be immensely proud that it is Jay Z, who has made this historic moment possible with his revolutionary body of work.”
Other inductees in the Class of 2017 include Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds (co-founder of LaFace Records with L.A. Reid), Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis (songwriting duo for Kanye West, Drake, Mary J. Blige and more) and Motown Records founder Berry Gordy.
The induction ceremony will be held June 15 at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in New York City.
(This article was first published October 20, 2016 and is below.)
Jay Z has been nominated for the prestigious Songwriters Hall of Fame as a member of the Class of 2017, the Associated Press reports. If inducted, the mogul would become the first rapper to enter the esteemed music organization.
Jay is the first Hip Hop artist to be nominated for the Songwriters Hall of Fame, which songwriters become eligible for after writing hits for 20 years. Jigga’s 1996 album Reasonable Doubt began his trek into superstardom where he’d release favorable hits such as “Hard Knock Life,” “Empire State Of Mind” and “Big Pimpin’,” among many others. The LP celebrated its 20th anniversary in June.
Roc Nation took the time out to congratulate its founder on Twitter.
Other nominees in the running for the Songwriters Hall of Fame include George Michael, Madonna, Bryan Adams, Vince Gill, Babyface, Max Martin and Kool & the Gang.
After voters turn in their official ballots in November, the 2017 Songwriters Hall of Fame induction ceremony will be held June 15 in New York City.
MONEY + POPULARITY + BEYONCÉ = SOMGWRITERSHOF
You mean Dope Lyrics + Dope Lyrics for Dayum near 20 + He don’t have eight ghostwriters = HOF. Yonce’ just the cherry on top of his epic career.
I can’t wait for drake to get nominated for the song writers hall of fame. O wait lololololol
Believe me this is all mainstream hype shit. They will induct him and Kanye sooner or later
He wrote for dre on still dre so i give it to jigga
No show 2day so I’m
Drinking oj with my protege thinking bout yesterday and how it’s the past so I move on up to the east side my Mercedes is a gride I reside in country ass Belleville the day u beat me hell will freeze over move over I’m
Coming in jumping in the mix with no tricks just treats that’s right it’s not Halloween but ur dressed like a queen damn that’s mean I mean I apologize I’m sorry was that too harsh I stay throwning darts u talk bout pushing weight but u only push carts at Kmart not smart don’t start
this was over from the beginning B. You rely thought u was beating me D? Too bad u don’t have a J…u shud hoop. Talk all that gun yet that’s the only way you’ll shoot. Awww shoot. Shit. Don’t go reaching for the hip your reaching n u know it trying to battle me bitch. Quick on draw like I’m with ur chick bitch pussy stank so I split quick lickidy ya she licka me didn’t care particurally for the dome so
I was gone articulately just explained my first experience with ur lady dicker then leave liquor in me pissed on your porch who sicker than me ur sister is B. No joke. Literally. I couldn’t believe. She wanted me to… Nevermind G.
Even when Jay was at his best he still wasn’t the highest selling rapper. Pac was selling more from the grave , Big, Nelly, em,dmx all sold more . Jay-z just super constant. Sales don’t equal the best. Bars, flows, word play , longevity and respect puts you up there . It’s allot of rappers that came before him and after. But I think he the right choice. He links the old school to the new school. Cole Kendrick drake all want career highlights. Jay just that dude. Congrats to him. There needs to be a hip Hop hall of fame.
I agree. He’s also handsome and has the baddest chick in the game. Power couple. Top five in wealthiest hip hop moguls.
All you broke Nas stans are upset as hell right now. All this talk about his “storytelling” and his “super lyricism” didn’t give him any recognition from this committee. King HOV got them bars for days, all them punchlines, metaphors and double/triple/sometimes quadruple entendres that will go over your dumb ass heads. But y’all say Nas is better than King HOV? I’m laughing right now. Nas, take this L, bruh. It’s the ROC!
Yup…. Another award given out by old white men that King HOV wins! He should be proud to have a award that has been won by such esteemed “song writer” like Madonna. I wonder if they King HOV and Madonna use the same ghostwriters.
what did he write? something about the sun spinning around the earth?
This guy underneath me..is very funny
Funny how he’s the first even with the self-admitted dumbing downs. Seeing how quality lyricism is a fundamental part of Hip-Hop music, it’s an anomaly how Rock ‘n’ Roll HoF has multiple Hip-Hop acts already while Songwriters’ has none. Anyway, it’s an unusually strong list, so basically anybody would be a good choice.
“Don’t call me, after the robbery, and say ‘how you feelin?’ You wanna know how I’m feelin? Come by the house,” – Kanye
This is as Hop Hop just said on a recently released rap radar podcast that he wrote the hooks for song cry and big pimpin…people thry to make such a case…oh it was the hook but not the verse..who gives a shit..its still having someone else write for you..its not like hooks are singing hooks..that are rapping hooks..that he had written for him.
you sound silly as a mutha fucka.
HOV once said “Little did I know my mo’ potent delivery/ would delivery me,..
KINGPEN of the INKPEN/ MONSTER of the DOUBLE ENTENDRE/”
That nigga is incredible!
Survive the droughts/ I wish you well/ how sick am I?/ I wish you health/ I wish you wheels/ I wish you wealth/ I wish you insight, so you can see for yourself
I used to think rappin at 38 was eww/ when last year alone, I grossed 38 mil/ I know I ain’t quite 38 but still/ the flow so special, got a .38 feel… COME ON HATERS!!!
No problem with this he deserves this. moy onli issue is he should not of got the nod before tupac. He was the greatest Hip Hop writer of all-time and should of been put in first.
if he is so good then why all of his recent music sucks? this motherfucker couldn’t drop a good album in this days even if he really tryd
It depends on who is listening, it Ain’t for everybody
Nah just not for you and that’s ok.
Because rapping for 20 years in a genre where “fans” only want to hear you rap for 2-3 years isn’t easy……
This is well deserved. Jay-Z’s songwriting skills are probably the best in hip hop. Most of you talking about “bars” and all that shit has nothing to do with getting into THIS Hall of Fame. Jay-Z makes songs the whole world can sing and he also understands song structure and how to make hits. Furthermore he wrote hits for other artists – Still D.R.E, Get Me Home, I’ll Be, etc.
Kanye wrote Jay part on Pop Style
And they were both absolutely awful on that song. I like to make believe they never had anything to do with that song and just move on.
Freddy Mercury???
where ice cube at?
Stop being mad you broke Nas stans. King HOV did what he had to do to make money and win awards. No one wants to be a broke ass like Nas. Are you guys mad that King HOV and his team of paid writers were able to make pop hit after pop hit that would make him relevant to 80 year old white dudes who make the selection for these awards? Well tough shit! That’s what it takes to be at the head of this rap game or you end up being a broke ass like Nas.
Fuck… This might be the realest thing you ever posted.
You can’t buy RESPECT. Jay-z backstabbed his Roc family and sold out to the 80 year old white “dude”. The way you glorify money and success makes me thing you would fuck your own mother for a million dollars. People like you are easy to manipulate
Oh there you are, it’s about time you got your head out from in between Gay-Z’s legs to actually breathe, let alone saying anything. Ah well, get back to suckin.
Sorry but Nas is the best songwriter in Hip Hop
True Hip Hop heads know that. 2Pac was one too. Jay-z isn’t even in my Top 10. Black Thought shits on Jay-Z any given day
Well deserved (mainly cause of his work during his prime tho as opposed to now). The way he fused rap with pop appeal is unmatched. Biggie may have been able to do the same but didnt live long enough (same for Big Pun). Congrats Hov.
Hey I didn’t know Jay-z wrote “Dear Mama” and “Keep Ya Head Up” and “Brenda got a baby”, “Changez” or “I wonder if Heaven got a Ghetto”…… I didnt know that
I truly feel you brah!!
This is horse shit.
Same sword they knight you they gon’ good night you with
Sh.., Thats’ only half if they like you
That ain’t even the half what they might do
Don’t believe me, ask Michael
See Martin, see Malcolm
You see Biggie, see Pac, see success and its outcome
See Jesus, see Judas; see Caesar, see Brutus
See success is like suicide
Suicide, it’s a suicide
If you succeed, prepare to be crucified
Media meddles, niggas sue you, you settle
Every step you take, they remind you you ghetto
So it’s tough bein’ Bobby Brown
To be Bobby then, you gotta be Bobby now
Now the question is, is to have had and lost
Better than not having at [all]
I get it, you were born after Jay dropped most of his classic albums so you wouldn’t know why he is getting love for actually writing his music. You think its cool to bring up Nas, Pac, and others but none of them were able to do what Jay did. Pac and Biggie maybe could have and most likely would have. At that time, Nas was revered by his peers and true hiphop heads but he wasn’t selling like Jay. Eminem sold plenty and made an impact for white artist but he wasn’t being revered like he is now and he made it clear Jay was the top guy. As for Kanye, he had ghostwriters so he can’t be discussed. So yeah it seems right to have Jay.
Uh, isn’t the a youtube video with Kanye West giving lyrics and coaching Jay Z on Lucifer? Jay Z is sitting there acting like this happens during every studio session. SMFH. Jay Z is nice but there are way too many question marks and subpar material from him to consider him to be the FIRST Hip Hop artist to get inducted into songwriters hall of fame.
LMAO you mean Kanye singing the chorus for Jay-Z right? Have you actually listened to Lucifer? If you did you would know Kanye make the beat and hook. Jay-Z wrote the verses. The verses make it a dope song.
No, I think he means the part where Kanye rapped the lyrics for Jay Z and emphasized the way he was supposed to flow on the track and Jay Z just sat there like this is some good shit Kanye thanks for showing me how to rap. Verses make a dope song? Only verses? you sure about that? I hope you bought Joe Budden’s last album.
Do you remember how it took ten years for Reasonable Doubt to be labelled a classic? Do you remember when Reasonable Doubt was released it was reviewed as just another thug album of the time? Do you remember how it got bashed for being a woman hating album when you had a strong female empowered rapper like Lauryn Hill blowing and shining over the whole rap game?
R.Kelly def needs to in there if he’s not already. JayZ is good, he also wrote for r&b artists.
Hey I didn’t know Jay wrote “Stan” and “Lose Yourself” and “The Way I Am”, “Cleanin’ Out My Closet”, “Sing for the Moment” or “When I’m Gone”…… I didn’t know that
It hasn’t been 20 years yet for Em to be nominated, he will get the award in 2020
Em’s first album came out the year Pac died (1996) so I doubt it.
It came out in 1999 the one he became known for with Dre at the helm, iInfinite doesn’t count because it was mainly underground, the world doesn’t recognize Em’s debut until 1999 the slim shady LP with my name is as the first commercial single., I am a Detroiter so I know all things Eminem
what no fake drake nomination…first name fakest…last name ever? c’mon people…he’s a true heavyweight contender with his pen game…wwaaa hahaha #DRAKEISFAKEDRAKEISWACK
Jay Z is inspiration for every black man. Jay Z representing success, wealth and intelligence.
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Ironic that the one rapper who didn’t write down lyrics gets a songwriting award.
Reasonable Doubt: 15 songs, All of them Dope
Life and Times of Shawn Carter Vol.1: 14 songs, 12 of them Dope
Vol.2: 14 songs, All 14 Dope
Vol.3: 15 songs, 12 of them Dope
Dynasty: 16 songs, 14 of them Dope
Blueprint 1: 15 songs , All 15 Dope
Black Album: 13 songs, not including intro, All 13 Dope
Kingdom Come: His back from retirement album; 17 songs 11 songs Dope
American Gangster: 14 songs not including intro, 13 of them Dope
Blueprint 2: 25 songs 18 Dope
Blueprint 3: 15 songs 12 Dope
MCHG: 16 songs 11-13 Dope depends how u feel about the two songs less than a min long.
Long 20 years plus career in a short story, Jay-Z that Dude. Check the catalog youngsta
None of those albums are Hip Hop Classics. Reasonable Doubt is only brought up bc so many people live in NYC. And all those “dope” shit you talk about…. that’s just your bullshit opinion. Fact is, nobody remembers those Jay-Z “hits” just like nobody remembers Beyonce “hits”. You forget them really quickly. They dont stand the test of time that’s why Jay-Z and Beyonce have to come out with so many albums.
Do u really believe that?
We talking about Jay Z’s rap career that expands 20 years. But what about Wayne tho? he started rapping when he was 8. he started around 1997 with hot boys. who can forget Tha block is hot. The word Bling Bling changed the rap game. Everybody started using it. Multiple grammy’s , multi platinum albums, have more hot 100 charts than MJ, Jay Z, ELvis. All these mumble rappers, are the prodigy of Wayne. He paved the way for them. Thats my opinion tho. That’s a GOAT status for me.