Out of the 13 artists that will be inducted to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame this year, Missy Elliott will be the first female rapper in history to be inducted, and DJ Kool Herc will earn the Rock Hall’s Musical Influence Award.
CEO of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, Greg Harris, discussed that 2023 was the first year Missy Elliott was eligible to be inducted. The rock & Roll Hall of Fame has about a dozen hip hop artists, but not a single female rapper, until now. Harris continued to praise the work Elliott has done in the music industry, calling her “groundbreaking, pioneering, and influential,” it is clear that she was a shoo-in to make history.
Music historians and hip hop fans often refer to Herc’s “Back to School Jam” in the Bronx as the beginning of hip hop, making DJ Kool Herc one of hip hop’s originals. Herc’s “Back to School Jam” took place in 1973, meaning that this year marks the 50th anniversary of hip hop. Harris has referenced the possibility of a tribute to hip hop occurring at the induction ceremony, but no specific details have been released.
The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction for the entirety of the 2023 Class will be held at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY on November 3rd.