The documentaries, events, and televised performances commemorating hip-hop’s 50th anniversary have given the culture’s pioneers with their long-deserved flowers. On Friday, November 3, Missy Elliott added another milestone to the culture’s impact after becoming the first female rapper to be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame.
During the ceremony, Queen Latifah took the stage at the Barclays Center to introduce her longtime friend. “Trust me, nothing sounded the same after Missy came on the scene,”said Latifah. “Nothing….everything changed – the bass lines changed, the pockets changed, the cadence, the writing. And that’s because Missy has always been a futurist, someone who’s always looking ahead.”
During Missy’s speech, she referred to several of the genre’s trailblazers, including Flavor Flav, Pepa (Salt-N-Pepa), and her longtime friend and collaborator Timbaland.
“There’s so many of y’all that are so legendary in here,” Elliott told the crowd. “This is the 50th anniversary of hip-hop. And so this is deeper than me just being up here. I was telling Robin [Roberts], you just feel like it’s so far to reach when you in the hip-hop world, and to be standing here, it means so much to me.”
For her live set, Missy performed a medley of her hits “Get Ur Freak Out,” “The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly),” “Work It,” “Pass That Dutch,” and “Lose Control.”
Missy Elliott was one of 13 legendary musicians inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame this week. Her class included the likes of Chaka Khan, Kate Bush, Willie Nelson, and Rage Against The Machine. In her speech, Missy showed love to many people, especially her mother and Timbaland. “I have to thank my mother who is here. My mother has never seen me perform in my whole entire career. But lemme tell you, wait, it’s not my mother fault. I most definitely didn’t wanna be saying she’s a b-tch, no minute man, p don’t fail me now, all of these records. I never wanted my mother to come to a show to hear me curse, ’cause you know, she from the church. But this night is so important and I wouldn’t have it no other way. Mommy, I thank you for allowing me to write on your walls songs.”
Furthermore, she continued, turning her attention to Timba. “And Timbaland, I love you. We started this in high school. I am proud of you. I see you, you are legendary. There’s so many of y’all that are so legendary in here. This is the 50th anniversary of hip hop. And so this is deeper than me just being up here. I was telling Robin, you just feel like it’s so far to reach when you in the hip hop world and to be standing here, it means so much to me. I thank you all—the committee from the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, I just wanna say I love y’all and just try to spread love ’cause we so needed in this world. And I thank y’all, all the inductees. Y’all are so amazing. And congratulations to y’all. I’m honored to be even just in the room with you all. And I thank y’all. Thank you so much.”
Following her speech, Missy performed a number of her greatest hits. “Get Ur Freak On,” “The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly),” “Work It,” “Pass That Dutch,” and “Lose Control” were all on the setlist as she was joined by a host of dancers. After her set, she revealed that the ceremony was the first live performance of hers that her mother had attended.
The induction, the first for a female rapper, comes at the end of a monumental year for Missy. She was part of a massive Hip Hop 50 tribute at the Grammys, where she shared the stage with Queen Latifah, who also served as herr introduction at the Hall of Fame induction. Furthermore, the induction comes two years after Missy received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Additionally, she also had a street named after her in her hometown of Portsmouth, Virginia.
LL Cool J gave DJ Kool Herc an incredible tribute for his 2023 Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame induction at the Brooklyn ceremony tonight. The speech started with LL Cool J looking back on how Kool Herc kicked off the origins of hip-hop by DJ’ing a party for his sister, Cindy Campbell. She was doing it to earn money for back-to-school clothes in 1973.
“We don’t know how much money Cindy managed to raise that day or what clothes she managed to buy but we know she changed the course of history, of music history,” LL Cool J said. “That party has come to be known as the birthplace of hip-hop.”
“It’s a culture that changed my life obviously,” he added, according to Rolling Stone. “It changed the lives of millions and millions of people.”
DJ Kool Herc then went up on stage, bringing Cindy along too.
“I got tears in my eyes,” Herc shared, giving some heartfelt acknowledgments. He then gave his sister a moment to speak.
“LL, you gave a heartfelt introduction, thank you, we love you,” Cindy said. “We always did, and I want to congratulate my brother DJ Kool Herc for staying on that path and getting where he is today. Congratulations to my brother.”
This year marks the 50th anniversary of DJ Kool Herc playing that first party.
Tonight’s Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame induction ceremony has honored a truly stacked list of musical legends for 2023. During the show, Chaka Khan received a heartfelt tribute as one of the inductees. Other musicians like HER, Sia, Common, and Jazmine Sullivan welcomed her with the award.
Sullivan led Chaka Khan’s induction speech — giving kind words to one of her biggest inspirations. “That voice, as raw as it is sweet, as sensual as it is soulful, has guided us through good times and bad, through meet-ups and breakups, through desire and despair, through hard times and higher love,” Sullivan said, according to Rolling Stone. “Chaka’s voice will never get lost among her peers or fade in the background, her tone stands alone. Everything about Chaka is fire.”
She also shared a story about how Khan was there for Sullivan’s mother when she went into remission for cancer.
From there, HER, Sia, and Common all appeared at different times to perform a blend of Khan’s songs. Common did “I Feel For You,” and HER played stuff from Khan’s time in Rufus with “Ain’t Nobody” and “Sweet Thing.” Sia closed out the medley with “I’m Every Woman,” according to the publication.
Check out a video from Chaka Khan’s induction tribute here.
Additionally, Olivia Rodrigo is set to perform with Crow during the ceremony, which will also welcome to the stage the likes of Elliott, Nelson, Elton John, Brandi Carlile, Chris Stapleton, Dave Matthews, HER, New Edition, St. Vincent, Stevie Nicks, Adam Levine, Carrie Underwood, Common, Ice T, LL Cool J, Miguel, Queen Latifah, and Sia as presenters or performers.
That is a lot to cram into one night, so how long is this year’s Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame Induction Ceremony expected to last? Well, considering it hasn’t happened yet — and there’s no official time limit, as far as anyone can tell — there’s no way to definitively know. However, as per Cleveland.com, the 2022 Rock Hall Induction Ceremony “lasted well over five hours.”
So, if you’re planning on watching the Disney+ livestream (as reported by Billboardin September), settle in. But if you’re a particularly patient person, you could also just wait until January 1, 2024, when ABC will air a three-hour edited broadcast beginning at 8 p.m. EST.
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
It’s music lovers’ favorite time of the year. I’m not referring to when the unofficial Queen of Christmas, Mariah Carey’s classic holiday tune, glares on the speakers of all public shopping centers around the country. Although that’s equally as exciting, I’m talking about the annual Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame ceremony. This year’s class includes heavy hitters Willie Nelson, Missy Elliott, Kate Bush, Rage Against The Machine, Sheryl Crow, the late George Michael, The Spinners, and more.
Today (November 3), the induction ceremony and star-studded performances are set to take place. So, what time is the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame induction ceremony? According to the organization’s official website, show time is 8 p.m. Eastern. For those who weren’t able to secure tickets for the historic celebration going down in person at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, they’re in luck.
The ceremony will be broadcast live on Disney+. Find more information here. If you can’t catch it in real-time, according to Billboard, a three-hour “edited broadcast of highlights will air on ABC” will play on January 1, 2024, beginning at 8 p.m. Eastern. But with Grammy Award-winning recording artist and producer Missy Elliott set to make history as the first woman rapper to be inducted (especially on the heels of the culture’s 50th anniversary), you might want to watch it live.
Despite former board member Jann Wenner’s disgusting remarks, the 2023 Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame induction ceremony is tuned to be a true headbanger. In May, the inductees class, which features Kate Bush, Rage Against The Machine, the late George Michael, Missy Elliott, Willie Nelson, Sheryl Crow, and the Spinners, was announced. Shortly after, the live entertainment for the broadcast was unveiled, but today (October 24), that list has grown. Here is the complete list of performers for the 2023 Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame induction.
Inductees Nelson, Crow, and Missy have confirmed they’ll hit the stage. In addition to their sets, Elton John, Brandi Carlile, Chris Stapleton, Dave Matthews, HER, New Edition, St. Vincent, Stevie Nicks, Adam Levine, Carrie Underwood, Common, Ice-T, LL Cool J, Miguel, Queen Latifah, and Sia will perform.
Outside of the performances and inductions, several impactful musicians will be acknowledged during the ceremony, including Chaka Khan, Al Kooper, and Bernie Taupin, who will be awarded the Musical Excellence Award. At the same time, DJ Kool Herc and Link Wray will be bestowed with the Musical Influence Award. Lastly, the Soul Train host Don Cornelius will posthumously receive the Ahmet Ertegun Award.
The Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame induction ceremony will be held on November 3 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. For the first time in the ceremony’s history, it will be broadcast live on Disney+. Find more information here.
The ceremony is scheduled for November 3 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York and will livestream on Disney+. According to Billboard, the stream will begin at 8 p.m. EST, and, rather than air on HBO at a later date like in years past, a three-hour “edited broadcast of highlights will air on ABC” on January 1, 2024, beginning at 8 p.m. EST.
Additionally on Thursday morning, September 28, the Rock Hall announced this year’s performers: Sheryl Crow, Missy Elliott, Chaka Khan, Willie Nelson, Brandi Carlile, Dave Matthews, Chris Stapleton, St. Vincent, and New Edition. The Rock Hall also promised that more performers will be revealed between now and the ceremony.
The 2023 inductee class was confirmed in May. Upon the news, Missy Elliott “cried all morning. Many people felt the weight of her induction, as Missy is the first-ever female rapper to earn the honor.
“Missy Elliott got in first ballot, just like Eminem got in first ballot last year and Jay-Z the year before,” So if there’s a throughline we’re seeing, it shows the power of hip-hop music culture now, as if we didn’t know it already, as far as how quickly these artists are being recognized on the first ballot,” Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame Chairman John Sykes told Variety in May.
Missy Elliott is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
Rappers being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is more common than people realize. It covers several genres and serves as a place of recognition and validation. Inductees are not eligible until their first album is 25 years old. They do not have to be active musically at the time of their nomination. Like the GRAMMYs, being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame means a lot to many artists. For rap specifically, being inducted means recognition, but the recognition is not from their core audience. There’s also a certain satisfaction to being recognized by that audience as it shows the impact of the music has reached them. We’ve gathered some inductees we already know are well deserving of praise for their musical impact but the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame agreed with us on them too.
Missy Elliott is the latest to join the rappers in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. She is the first female rapper nominated and the first to be inducted. Missy Elliott is an innovator in the rap world. And that’s not just in the lane of women in rap – it’s in the lane of rap, period. Additionally, Missy’s eccentric style, flows, and music videos have been celebrated for decades. She’s viewed as an inspiration to anyone going against the norms in their musical lane – or life. Missy is a legacy artist that still appears in the occasional feature with modern artists. She embraces many of them, keeping her in touch with multiple generations. Missy being inducted is a validation of something her listeners have known for years – she’s a legend at her craft.
Eminem – 2022
LOS ANGELES, CA – APRIL 13: Recording artists Eminem performs onstage at the 2014 MTV Movie Awards at Nokia Theatre L.A. Live on April 13, 2014 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Christopher Polk/Getty Images for MTV)
Eminem is a rapper that was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2022. To some, this came as no surprise. Eminem’s place as a white rapper in the rap game is no longer a hot topic. He has spoken about it in his music in multiple ways. People respect him because he never tried to be something he wasn’t. However, his showcases of being himself were criticized – and praised – throughout his entire career. Many people have cited Em as their inspiration. However, they often end up emulating him, which draws criticism and comparison. Em is an artist that is well aware of everything people say about him and has responded to them through his music. This keeps him quite active in the modern rap world with his own music.
Jay-Z – 2021
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – JANUARY 25: Jay-Z attends 2020 Roc Nation THE BRUNCH on January 25, 2020 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Roc Nation)
Jay-Z joined the list of rappers in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2021. They inducted him the first year they nominated him. This is a testament to his legacy as an artist and, of course, as a mogul. Jay has been active in the rap game for decades and has done nothing but ascend his entire career. His “I’m not a businessman, I’m a business, man” quote is still used by go-getters, rise-and-grinders, and more today. He has inspired multiple generations in the rap world, with many artists still citing him as inspiration. Jay is another artist active in the modern-day rap game. He’ll pop up occasionally on a feature, with his most recent one being a four-minute verse on “God Did” from DJ Khaled’s latest album.
The Notorious B.I.G – 2020
Christopher “Notorious B.I.G.” Wallace (Photo by Ron Galella, Ltd./Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images)
The Notorious B.I.G. was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2020. Naturally, people hailed him as a legend for decades before then. Biggie is on the Mount Rushmore of hip-hop icons, and no, we’re not debating who is up there with him in this piece. Biggie’s influence in the rap world is still popular today. Some people are even trying to keep his spirit alive in too literal of a way. Still, his legendary status is not debated by many. Because of this, his induction did not come as a surprise to most supporters. But, the “delay” is only because Biggie’s debut album Ready to Die had to turn 25. Biggie’s legacy has continued to live on long after his tragic passing, as he has been cited as an inspiration for rappers of all generations.
Tupac – 2017
NEW YORK – JULY 23: Rapper Tupac Shakur performs onstage at Club Amazon on July 23, 1993 in New York, New York. (Photo by Al Pereira/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)
Tupac is a legendary rapper inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2017. Like our previous entry, many people have him on their Mount Rushmore of hip-hop legends. His induction also did not come as a surprise due to his impact on listeners from his time and long after. Clips of Tupac from videos of all kinds are still posted across socials today. One of today’s most prominent artists, Kendrick Lamar, has cited him as an inspiration multiple times. Tupac’s voice can be heard on the closing track, “Mortal Man,” from Kendrick’s critically acclaimed album To Pimp A Butterfly. Kendrick has shared that the original title of this album was going to be Tu Pimp A Caterpillar which would have made the acronym for it “TuPAC.” This is also one of several examples of how his legacy has branched generations through the art of music.
N.W.A – 2016
NEW YORK – OCTOBER 30: (L-R) Rappers MC Ren, DJ Yella, Eazy-E and Dr. Dre of the rap group NWA pose for a portrait in 1991 in New York, New York. DJ Yella is giving the middle-finger. (Photo by Al Pereira/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)
N.W.A is a group of rappers that were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2016. The group was the home of now-legendary artists Dr. Dre, Ice Cube, and Eazy-E. The classic cover art for the group’s debut album Straight Outta Compton is still being replicated today. N.W.A.’s music covered several topics, with the most poignant one still being relevant. They talked about Black oppression through an aggressive and non-sugar-coated delivery. For lack of a better word, this also caused many people to fear them. People were proud to protest their music, and there is footage of people destroying physical copies of it in the streets. This further capitalized on the point they were trying to make in their music. Music that tells of people’s experiences in a country they are told loves them will forever be relevant.
Public Enemy – 2013
NEW YORK – 1988: (Clockwise from bottom left) Flavor Flav, Professor Griff, Terminator X, S1W and Chuck D of the rap group Public Enemy pose for a portrait in a studio. (Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)
Public Enemy is a group of rappers inducted into the Rock and Roll of Fame in 2013. They are another group whose message was politically charged. Chuck D delivered most of the message-centric content in the group, while Flavor Flav helped make their music a little more accessible. His animated verses, ad-libs, hooks, and overall personality did this. PE was a group with many rock elements and collaborations in their music. They remained active long after their most popular era. One of the most recent things listeners may remember was their April Fool’s Day prank in 2020, where they said they had kicked Flavor Flav out of the group. They did this stunt to also commentate on the power of disinformation. They followed this by resigning to Def Jam and releasing their album What You Gonna Do When The Grid Goes Down?
Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five – 2007
Portrait of Grandmaster Flash (seated in center) and the Furious Five, New York, December 1980. (Photo by Anthony Barboza/Getty Images)
Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five were the first group of rappers inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. They were inducted in 2007. For many listeners nowadays, these are one of the groups their parents excite and consider “real hip-hop.” This is true from a technical sense as they are one of the true genre pioneers. They brought it to mainstream audiences and did it in a way that made that audience love it. Without groups like theirs, we would not have been able to expand the genre of rap/hip-hop to the point of having multiple subgenres like it does today. Groups like these laid the groundwork for the importance of flow, delivery, cadence, and all the other core elements of what rapping truly is. It’s only fitting they were the first inductees since they helped build the genre.
Who are some of your favorite rapper inductees into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame? Let us know in the comments section.
Missy Elliott has made history by becoming the first female rapper to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. She is now celebrating this achievement with her fans, friends, and fellow artists. On May 3, the iconic rapper took to social media to express her excitement about this prestigious honor. “It’s times I have gotten online & seen your irrelevant your a flop your washed up & it would crush me at times,” she tweeted, “BUT God you made me STRONG I kept going & you allowed my decades of WORK to SPEAK 4 itself. I am HUMBLED thank you all my Supporters. I LOVE YOU.”
Missy Elliott has previously spoken about her impact on the world of hip-hop. In a recent Instagram post, she mentioned that she received criticism for her Barbie-inspired music video for “Beep Me 911.” She now recognizes that she was ahead of her time. In early April, a new trailer for the Barbie movie was released, generating excitement from many people. However, Missy Elliott had a more complex response to the trailer. “Some folks clowned me [Timbaland] & Magoo for doing a Barbie style video with our arms painted like joints and Tim and Magoo Ken hairstyles,” she tweeted. “I remember crying but I realized I was just years ahead of the game.”
In a new Instagram post, Missy expressed her gratitude once again for her historic Hall of Fame induction. “I want to say this is HUGE not for just me but all my Sisters in HIPHOP… to showcase the hard work that many of us WOMEN contribute to MUSIC,” Missy began. “I have cried all day because I am GRATEFUL thank you [Rock and Roll Hall of Fame] & all on the committee & Supafriends.” Missy then went on to point out her humble beginnings, representing her hometown of Portsmouth, Virginia.
In addition to shouting out her hometown, Missy also paid tribute to her fellow inductees. Other artists being added to the Hall of Fame this year include Chaka Khan and DJ Kool Herc. “CONGRATULATIONS to all the other LEGENDARY artists who will now be inducted in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame,” Missy said. “They have committed DECADES of hard work and IMPACT in music… Thank you 4 sharing your gifts with the world.” What do you think of Missy’s response to her induction? Is there anyone else they should have added but didn’t? Let us know in the comments!
