LL Cool J & Chaka Khan Nominated for Rock & Roll Hall of Fame
Hip-hop could be headed to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame once again. Nominees for next year’s induction include legendary acts in rap, soul, blues, and R&B.
LL Cool J, who first made a name for himself in the 1980s with Radio and Bigger and Deffer, is one of the nominees, due to his continued success throughout the decades, incorporating television and movies into his résumé.
Rapper @llcoolj delivered both hardcore raps and sexy love songs with swagger still heard in hip-hop today. Vote: https://t.co/BtbL2G6s2Q pic.twitter.com/dXJ5ddDy4c
— Rock Hall (@rockhall) October 5, 2017
Rufus featuring Chaka Khan also get a nod. The group collaborated on a series of influential tracks throughout the 1970s and early ’80s, including “Tell Me Something Good” and “Do You Love What You Feel.”
Rufus and @ChakaKhan were the freedom & raw sexuality of pure funk. They forged racial integration in Rock. Vote: https://t.co/auDOnwoQY7 pic.twitter.com/XTbPDhHYgR
— Rock Hall (@rockhall) October 5, 2017
Soul icon Nina Simone also earns a nomination for her impactful work, including “Feeling Good,” “Baltimore,” “I Put a Spell On You,” and more. “The High Priestess of Soul” has transcended genres, influencing many of hip-hop’s most prominent artists, including JAY-Z, Kanye West, and Common, who’ve rapped over samples of her material in recent years.
Elsewhere, rap-rock luminaries Rage Against the Machine receives a nomination. Led by their outspoken MC Zack de La Rocha, the band revolutionized the way hip-hop and rock were fused through the ’90s with albums like their self-titled debut, Evil Empire, and The Battle of Los Angeles.
Other nominees include Bon Jovi, Kate Bush, The Cars, Depeche Mode, Dire Straits, Eurythmics, J. Geils Band, Judas Priest, MC5, The Meters, Moody Blues, Radiohead, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Link Wray, and The Zombies.
Starting Oct. 5 through Dec. 5, fans can participate in the voting process through the Rock Hall. The votes will make up a fan ballot that will be counted along with the other ballots from the voting body, which includes more than 900 artists, historians, and members of the music industry. Inductees will be announced in December.
Last year, Tupac Shakur was inducted into the Rock Hall, following in the footsteps of N.W.A, Grandmaster Flash, Run-D.M.C., Beastie Boys, and Public Enemy.