Jay Z will be joining elite company as a member of the Songwriters Hall of Fame. His induction is especially meaningful because it's the first time a rapper has received the honor.
Others in the 2017 class include Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds, Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, Robert Lamm, James Pankow & Peter Cetera, p/k/a “Chicago” and Max Martin.
Chance the Rapper congratulated Jay, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis via his Twitter account.
"S/o to my OGs, Jay Z and Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, who were elected to the Songwriters Hall of Fame today. I hope to one day make it there," he tweeted.
Berry Gordy, who was included in the 2016 class but deferred, will also be inducted this year.
“With our 2017 roster of inductees, the Songwriters Hall of Fame moves definitively into recognizing music creators of the 21st century while continuing to honor the greats of earlier decades. The combination of contemporary sounds and timeless hits of the past is certain to make for an unforgettable evening,” said SHOF co-chairs Kenneth Gamble and Leon Huff and President Linda Moran, in a statement. “The songwriters we honor cross genres, regional and even national boundaries - R & B, Rap, Pop and Rock & Roll from both coasts, the American heartland and Sweden. We are thrilled to once more have the opportunity to preside over an event that recognizes the convergence of song craft and musical performance at the very highest level.”
The induction ceremony will take place at the Songwriters Hall of Fame's 48th Annual Induction and Awards Dinner on Thursday, June 15th at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in New York City.
Spotted at Rap-Up.
Photo Credit: Photobra | Adam Bielawski under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license via Wikimedia Commons.
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