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Courtesy of Rock & Roll Hall of FameThe enduring artistic legacy of the late rapper Tupac Shakur will be honored when Snoop Dogg inducts him into the Rock and Roll Hall Fame tonight in Brooklyn, New York.
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum CEO Greg Harris tells ABC Radio that Tupac made the ballot this year because he became such a notable figure in such a short period of time.
“He’s become sort of the voice and the face of hip hop around the world,” Harris says.
Another icon, Nile Rodgers of disco-funk band Chic, will be inducted separately from the group into the Rock and Roll Hall of fame by Pharrell Williams.
Harris explains why Rodgers deserves to be celebrated as an individual artist, stating, “if you look at the people that he’s worked with over the decades, it’s pretty remarkable — as a producer, as a guitar player — and it’s an amazing litany of artists.”
Nile and Tupac will be joined by rock groups Pearl Jam, Yes, Electric Light Orchestra and Journey, along with folk singer-songwriter Joan Baez as the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Class of 2017.
The sold-out ceremony will be edited down for broadcast April 29 on HBO, but Harris says that this year’s inductees will be celebrated all summer long at the museum with a special exhibition and musical tributes, because people still have a vested interest in the event and museum.
“If people weren’t questioning who’s in and who’s out and why my favorites are, it would mean they didn’t care,” says Harris. “It means a lot. It even means a lot to the artist.”
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