“Ladies love? Living large? Licking lips? I’m here because I think it stands for living legend.”Ĭool J then did a medley of his hits, including “Rock The Bells” accompanied by a bearded Eminem before he was joined by J-Lo for “All I Have.” Cool J wrapped up his blistering set with with one of his biggest hits, “Mama Said Knock You Out.” “What does LL really stand for?” asked rapper/producer Dr. With New York street style and swagger, Cool J remains a relevant artist more than 40 years after he first spit lyrics. One of rap’s hip-hops first superstars was joined on stage by Eminem and Jennifer Lopez for a powerful career-spanning performance. Rapper LL Cool J was enshrined for musical excellence along with keyboardist Billy Preston and guitarist Randy Rhoads.Įlectronic pioneers Kraftwerk, singer-poet Gil Scott-Heron and Delta blues legend Charley Patton were inducted as early influencers and Sussex Records founder Clarence Avant received the Ahmet Ertegun Award.Ĭool J recruited some of his heavyweight musical friends to usher him into rock immortality. “Do you think this guy is stalking me?” McCartney joked.įoo Fighters and McCartney closed the show with the Beatles’ “Get Back.” McCartney described the parallels between he and Grohl as both were part of massively popular bands who broke up. Initially, the band was little more than a side project for front man Dave Grohl, who was previously inducted as Nirvana’s drummer. Paul McCartney welcomed Foo Fighters, who have carried the mantle as one of rock’s top arena acts. “He embodies what the potential of our lives can be and what success can be.” “He rhymed a recipe for survival,” Chappelle said. 1 albums.įollowing a video introduction that included President Barack Obama, LeBron James and David Letterman, Jay-Z was inducted by comedian Dave Chappelle, who praised him for being an inspiration. His catalogue includes songs like “Hard Knock Life,” “99 Problems” and “Empire State of Mind” as well as 14 No. Once a drug dealer on the tough streets of Brooklyn, New York, Jay-Z rose through the rap world with hard, straight-forward songs that often portrayed the struggles of Black people in America. The self-proclaimed “greatest rapper alive” was inducted Saturday night as part of an eclectic 2021 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame class that included Foo Fighters, Carole King, Tina Turner, The Go-Gos and Todd Rundgren. CLEVELAND (AP) - Jay-Z’s added another title to a resume that includes rapper, songwriter, Grammy winner, billionaire business mogul, and global icon - Hall of Famer.

Jay z empire state of mind album