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NWA Just Got Inducted Into The Rock N Roll Hall Of Fame By Kendrick Lamar

Lauren Ziegler

In an historic moment for the hip-hop world, Straight Outta Compton legends NWA have just been inducted into the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame. All four surviving members – Ice Cube, Dr Dre, DJ Yella and MC Ren were in tow, along with family and friends, notably including the mother of the late Eazy-E. They were inducted by the only man fit for the job: Kendrick Lamar.

The ceremony had been preceded by the news that NWA were not going to be performing on the night. Speaking to the New York Times, Ice Cube said, “Nah, we’re not performing. I guess we really didn’t feel like we were supported enough to do the best show we could put on… We wanted to do it on a whole other level, and that just couldn’t happen. But we’re totally honoured, humbled and appreciative to the Hall for even just considering us, inducting us and inviting us.”

Lamar delivered a powerful speech, introducing each N.W.A member separately, and talking about their impact – both globally and on a personal scale. “Chuck D once said rap and hip-hop was the black CNN. N.W.A represent that to the fullest, am I right? Bringing inner city life to the forefront and making the world pay attention to our realities. Even myself, I look around and I’ve seen people N.W.A spoke for, whether it was my cousin, whether it was my uncle, they were Compton Crip or Piru, they was all influenced. That’s real, y’all probably don’t know about that – y’all looking at me like I’m crazy. But they know! It was all influence, and it all had a deep impression. What they know is a big misconception. The impression was just that they’re trying to kill people. To be clear, to be very clear, the fact that a famous group can look just like one of us and dress like one of us, talk like one of us, proved to every single kid in the ghetto that you can be successful and still have importance while doing it.” (via Rolling Stone)

Check out some social media highlights from the momentous occasion:

Some see the addition of a hip-hop crew to the HoF as inappropriate, but many of us obviously disagree, and see as much merit in N.W.A as we do any of the rock acts inducted at the same time. Gene Simmons of Kiss recently made some stupid comments about the death of rap, and why it’s not as good as rock, but MC Ren was having none of it (and neither were we):

https://twitter.com/billboard/status/718608210844872704

Image: Twitter