Jay Z Accepts Songwriters Hall of Fame Honor, Pays Homage to Hip-Hop
Jay Z makes history.
On Thursday (June 15), Shawn Corey Carter became the first rapper ever to be inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. He wasn’t able to attend the induction ceremony — likely because his wife Beyoncé may be in the process of giving birth to the couple’s twin babies — but he was able to make a speech of sorts via Twitter.
In a lengthy stream of consciousness Twitter storm, Jigga thanked rappers who came before him, contemporaries, and those he’s inspired. “Thank you to all the people that have inspired me . Rakim KANE KRS chuck cube Jaz Em Andre Nas big PAC cole kendrick chance jayE ..wait, Lauryn Nicki lite latifah common ye drake and meek . Run caz LL chainz cam tip (both of them) thought pharaoh , face . De la . Ice T. Wait. G Rap .Mel . Kurupt . Lox. X . Q. Ab lupe. Mos. Foxy. Boss . Ross. Quavo Future Travis too many fuck this. All you!T grizzley song best out.”
Thank you to all the people that have inspired me . Rakim KANE KRS chuck cube Jaz Em Andre Nas big PAC cole kendrick chance jayE ..wait,
— Mr. Carter (@sc) June 16, 2017
Lauryn Nicki lite latifah common ye drake and meek . Run caz LL chainz cam tip (both of them) thought pharaoh , face . De la . Ice T. Wait
— Mr. Carter (@sc) June 16, 2017
G Rap .Mel . Kurupt . Lox. X . Q. Ab lupe. Mos. Foxy. Boss . Ross. Quavo Future Travis too many fuck this. All you!T grizzley song best out
— Mr. Carter (@sc) June 16, 2017
He continued, listing off more names that he values within the hip-hop community, including his wife. “Shit did I say redman ? Ghost and Rae . Wu tang I beat Genius in a rap battle I think ha . Busta (him too) Treach . Thug . B a rapper too,” he tweeted. “Shit …Wayne , Juve BG Nipsey . Kim . Slaughterhouse (yes mouse too ha) Folarin MC eiht . Short . 40 . Mac dre this shit hard .Never mind…Anyway salute to anybody who made a song to feed their family or just vent.”
Shit did I say redman ? Ghost and Rae . Wu tang I beat Genius in a rap battle I think ha . Busta (him too) Treach . Thug . B a rapper too!
— Mr. Carter (@sc) June 16, 2017
Shit …Wayne , Juve BG Nipsey . Kim . Slaughterhouse (yes mouse too ha) Folarin MC eiht . Short . 40 . Mac dre this shit hard .Never mind
— Mr. Carter (@sc) June 16, 2017
Just when it seemed he was done, many more names came to mind. “Fuck ..50 cent big L sho ag nice and smooth Joe and pun . diggable butterfly esp…beanie young chris freeway SP okay for real this time . Fuck haa. Naw for real .Pastor Jeezy my partner . Okay I’m done . I’m deleting this app in the morning . Shit is impossible to get right. I promise I’m not drunk . Lord Pusha . Carti (Magnolia incredible)ASAP Sean P , Mobb , cudi . Tyler , earl, Snoop!!( almost played myself). Wait . Slick fucking Rick . Pimp C and bun . Wow . I just realized how many fresh people the culture has . Big Sean . Sauce money .Too many ..Fab , black people really magic . Mac Miller nice too though.”
Another important person got his shoutout, too. “And the greatest rapper of all time OBAMA . Thank you 44.”
Fuck ..50 cent big L sho ag nice and smooth Joe and pun . diggable butterfly esp…beanie young chris freeway SP okay for real this time .
— Mr. Carter (@sc) June 16, 2017
Fuck haa. Naw for real .Pastor Jeezy my partner . Okay I'm done . I'm deleting this app in the morning . Shit is impossible to get right.
— Mr. Carter (@sc) June 16, 2017
Former President Barack Obama didn’t just get props, he also gave them out. In a video that was played at the induction ceremony, Obama spoke about his connection and appreciation for his good friend Jay.
“Nobody who met us as younger men would have expected us to be where we are today,” said the former president. “You know what it’s like not to have a father around, you know what it’s like not to come from much and to know people who didn’t get the same breaks that we did. So we try to prop open those doors of opportunity so that it’s a little easier for those who come up behind us to succeed as well.”
.@BarackObama salutes JAY Z on his #SHOF2017 honor 🙌🏾🙌🏾🙌🏾 pic.twitter.com/u1tkUJzjTt
— Rap-Up (@RapUp) June 16, 2017
Although Jay wasn’t present at the ceremony, the iconic MC sent his longtime friend and publisher Jon Platt on his behalf. “When it comes to the industry’s biggest honors, the hip-hop community has a very long history of being told. ‘You’re not songwriters,’ ‘You’re not quite there yet,’ ‘It’s not your time yet,'” he said. “Well, to all the songwriters and artists from our community and our generation, Jay would want you to know that this induction is a signal that your time has come and your time is now. He would tell up-and-coming hip-hop artists today that there can be no mistake or question that you are indeed songwriters, and your gift cannot ever be overlooked. And Jay would want you to know that as proud as he is to be the first, he’s even more proud that he won’t be the last.”