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Eminem, Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis and Lionel Richie were among the artists inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Saturday night in Los Angeles.
Dr. Dre inducted Eminem, recalling that he saw something in the rapper when others didn’t.
“I knew that his gifts were undeniable,” Dre said. “Each of us was what the other one needed — and I was willing to bet my entire career on it.”
After Dre’s heartfelt introduction, Eminem performed a medley of hits, including “My Name Is,” “Sing for the Moment” with surprise guest Steven Tyler, and “Stan,” with Ed Sheeran jumping in to sing the chorus and play guitar.
In his acceptance speech, Eminem honored the hip hop genre and listed off the artists that influenced him, including Tupac, Notorious B.I.G and a whole lot more.
“I’m a high school dropout with a hip-hop education and these are my teachers,” he said. “And it’s their night just as much as it is mine.”
Legendary producing duo Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis were inducted in the Musical Excellence category by longtime collaborator Janet Jackson, who spoke about the experience of working on her 1986 album Control with them.
“We felt like we were kids in a sandbox,” she said. “We talked and laughed so much that sometimes it didn’t even feel like we were making a record.”
In their acceptance speech, Terry spoke at length of his gratitude, prompting Jimmy to reply, “That’s the most I’ve ever heard Terry talk in my whole life.”
Lionel Richie received his induction from Lenny Kravitz.
“The man doesn’t have a pretentious bone in his body,” Kravitz said. “…When Lionel shows up, everyone gets happy.”
Lionel then performed “Hello,” the Commodores‘ “Easy” with the help of rocker Dave Grohl, and “All Night Long.” In his speech, Richie spoke of being a “creative artist” in the industry and being told in the past that he wasn’t “Black enough.”
“Rock and roll is not a color; it’s a feeling, it’s a vibe,” he said.
Other inductees included Duran Duran, Eurythmics, Pat Benatar, Carly Simon and Dolly Parton. Harry Belafonte received the Early Influence Award.
The induction ceremony will air on Saturday, November 19, at 8 p.m. ET on HBO and will stream on HBO Max.
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