Recognizing rap as an art form has been nothing short of an uphill battle, but rappers like Jay-Z provide hope that the genre will finally get the validation it deserves.
Jay-Z was recently inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame on Oct. 30 in his first year of eligibility, making him one of few solo rappers to achieve this honor.
From his first single “In My Lifetime” in 1995 to his 23 Grammy Awards to date and a substantial discography complete with impressive solo projects and iconic collaborations, many feel the rapper is extremely deserving of this recognition.
Jay-Z’s induction ceremony was glamorous, with celebrities like Halle Berry, Coldplay, Rick Ross and Rihanna congratulating the rapper. Former President Barack Obama also had a heartfelt message for the rapper, which he shared in a separate recording.
“I’ve turned to Jay-Z’s words at different points in my life, whether I was brushing dirt off my shoulder on the campaign trail, or sampling his lyrics on the Edmund Pettus Bridge on the 50th anniversary of the Selma march to Montgomery,” Obama said. “Today Jay-Z is one of the most renowned artists in history and an embodiment of the American dream, a dream he has helped make real for other young people like him.”
Obama also honored Jay-Z in 2017 when the artist was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. Needless to say, Jay-Z is a legendary rapper with insurmountable talent when it comes to writing, rapping and performing.
In a humble and emotional acceptance speech, Jay-Z said, “Much like punk rock, [hip-hop] gave us this anticulture, this subgenre, and there were heroes in it. When thinking about what I was going to say tonight, these heroes just kept coming to my mind, Rakim and Big Daddy Kane and KRS-One and Chuck D, and, of course, a fellow inductee, LL Cool J.”
He continued, “I watch these guys, and they have big gold chains and leather and sometimes even the red, black, green medallions and whatever they wore, everybody would wear the next day. I was like, ‘That’s what I want to do. I want to be like those guys.’ And so I set out on my journey.”
And how successful he was.
Jay-Z’s nod to the red, black and green medallions his rap predecessors wore in reference to the Black liberation flag display the deep connection between rap and Black culture and the subsequent significance of a rapper like Jay-Z being recognized in this way.
PV choir director David Baxter offered insight on the bigger context of rap being acknowledged as an art form through Jay-Z’s induction. “I think it’s important to show progress in accepting and validating Black artists or artists of color in general. In my music history courses, especially American music history, there’s so many instances where there’s Black composers composing jazz or even classical music where they would be kind of snubbed by the elite and the recording industry or even within composer circles,” he said. “And it takes a lot of time and a lot of effort on these musicians’ part to play by the rules until they, in Jay-Z’s case, especially, gain enough power over the masses to push the powers that be to accept [rap music].”
Baxter continued, “So while it’s awesome that we’re seeing that progress, it’s still kind of sad that it takes so much time, so much effort, just to get that validation,” he explained. “It’s a great achievement, but it’s still kind of a drop in the bucket for what’s needed as far as equality in what’s considered music.”
Similarly to jazz, a genre of music born in Black culture, rap has not always been accepted by the masses. While it may seem as though Jay-Z’s induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame is a sign of a larger acceptance of Black artists and rap, many, like Baxter, believe this is only a sliver of the validation that is deserved.
Despite the industry’s obstacles, both Jay-Z fans and fans of rap in general can agree on the rapper’s influence on the genre. Senior Brady Adams considers Jay-Z to be one of his favorite artists of all time. “I mean Jay-Z has cemented himself as a rap icon for the rest of history given his success, influence and impact in both the commercial and the rap game,” Adams shared. “When people think of rap, he’s most people’s first person that comes to mind, and I think that it’s only appropriate for him to be one of the only solo rap artists to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.”
Not only has Jay-Z proven to be a household rap name, but he has established a legacy that will live on for generations to come. The rapper is a symbol of Black excellence, and his induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame only begins to scratch the surface of the impact he has had on rap and the Black community.
