Should Tupac be in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame?
Should one of the greatest rappers of all time be included in pop music’s official pantheon of greats?
That’s the question some are asking after the nominees for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s class of 2017 were unveiled Tuesday, with Tupac Shakur headlining the list of 19 possible inductees.
Tupac, who has sold more than 75 million records worldwide, is commonly regarded as one of the best rappers ever and considered hugely influential in the genre. He was killed in 1996 in a drive-by shooting in Las Vegas.
Election to the Hall of Fame is dependent upon more than 600 ballots cast by music industry veterans, historians and living members, with the top five nominees being inducted. All nominees must be at least 25 years removed from the release of their first record. Tupac’s first album, “2Pacalypse Now” was released in 1991, making this his first year of eligibility.
Should Tupac be inducted, he would be the first solo rapper to be so honored. The Hall of Fame has inducted just five rap groups in its history: Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, Run-D.M.C., The Beastie Boys, Public Enemy and N.W.A.
And if one goes by the controversy that accompanied some of those inductions, then Tupac’s candidacy should ignite fierce debate. Gene Simmons, frontman for Hall of Fame band Kiss, has been particularly vocal in his criticism of including rap artists in the Hall, saying it was akin to Led Zeppelin being inducted into the (fictional) Rap Hall of Fame.
But he is hardly alone in his feeling that the genre should not be included in the Hall, and those people sounded off on social media after Tupac’s nomination was announced.
So Tupac is nominated to the "Rock & Roll Hall of Fame" no offense to his legacy but is his music Rock & Roll? I thought is was Rap
— Tammy North (@midnighttammy) October 18, 2016
I don't wanna see any rappers in the rock n roll hall of fame lol sorry, but that goes for Tupac as welL
— TodaysTomSawyeR (@_HymanRotH) October 18, 2016
Tupac isn't qualified to be in the Rock Hall because he isn't rock. Rock fans don't get much, don't take the hall from us too. #rockhall2017
— Caitlain McGuire (@caitlainmcguire) October 18, 2016
@mgsiegler Tupac going into Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. And now we don’t know what rock & roll is anymore…
— Adam Besvinick (@Besvinick) October 18, 2016
@brodysmither in his defense he "loves Pac but he isn't rock and roll"
— G'Lock Holmes (@IceHawk18) October 18, 2016
However, for every discontent rock fan, there are as many music fans and critics who feel Tupac deserves a spot in the Hall.
Tupac 2017 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction? Yes, please.
— (@magik_lasso) October 18, 2016
Congrats to: Tupac 4 being nominated to the Rock n' Roll Hall of Fame!
— £ex £ucre™ (@LexLucre) October 18, 2016
Salute to Tupac Shakur & Janet Jackson on being nominated into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame
— Indy Vibez (@indyvibez) October 18, 2016
i know this will shock some people but i believe tupac deserves to be in the rock n roll hall of fame- i am evolving on this issue
— ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ (@DaveWuzzHere) October 18, 2016
@AKinkhabwala Tupac should have been in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame years ago, alone with Biggie and Lil Kim
— Larry Davis (@larrydaved72) October 18, 2016
And despite some fans disapproval, Tupac is likely to be the first of a wave of rappers to be nominated, as the Washington Post points out. Notorious B.I.G., Tupac’s rival, will be eligible in 2019, as will Outkast. Dr. Dre is already eligible as a solo act, and Jay Z and Eminem will follow in 2021 and 2022, respectively.
This story was originally published October 18, 2016 at 4:59 PM with the headline "Should Tupac be in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame?."