Thirteen acts will enter the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as part of the 2023 Class. Hip Hop representatives Missy Elliott and DJ Kool Herc made the final list for this year.
Missy Elliott becomes the first female rapper in history to earn a Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction. DJ Kool Herc will receive the Rock Hall’s Musical Influence Award.
Audacy interviewed Greg Harris, the CEO of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, about the latest inductees. In particular, Harris reflected on the two Hip Hop selections during that conversation.
“We have roughly a dozen Hip Hop artists in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, and Missy is the first [female rapper],” said Greg Harris. “This was her first year of eligibility. She went right in. First-year nominated, first-year eligible.”
Greg Harris added, “Such a unique sound – groundbreaking, pioneering, and influential. And so we’re thrilled she’s in.” Virginia native Missy Elliott burst onto the music scene with her classic 1997 album Supa Dupa Fly.
Many music historians recognize DJ Kool Herc as one of the original creators of Hip Hop culture. Hip Hop enthusiasts often cite Herc’s “Back to School Jam” on August 11, 1973, at 1520 Sedgwick Avenue in The Bronx, as the starting point of Hip Hop.
“I do think because it’s the 50th anniversary of Hip Hop and we have the godfather, the founder, Kool Herc, going in, and the event is in New York… I think we should expect something like that as at least part of the show,” said Greg Harris about a possible Hip Hop tribute at the upcoming Rock Hall ceremony.
The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame will formally induct Missy Elliott, DJ Kool Herc, and the rest of the Class of 2023 on November 3 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn.