Former President Barack Obama also delivered congratulatory remarks to JAY-Z in a pre-recorded message.
“I’ve turned to JAY-Z’s words at different points in my life, whether I was brushing dirt off my shoulder on the campaign trail or sampling his lyrics on the Edmund Pettus Bridge on the 50th anniversary of the Selma march to Montgomery,” Obama said. “Today, JAY-Z is one of the most renowned artists in history and an embodiment of the American dream, a dream he has helped make real for other young people like him.”
Dave Chappelle, who delivered JAY-Z’s formal induction speech, jokingly referenced the recent controversy surrounding his Netflix special.
“I would like to apologize — I’m just f***in’ with you,” the comedian said as he opened his speech.
He then flipped to a more serious tone.
“It is an incredible honor to induct this next man into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame," Chappelle said. "But I need everybody in rock ’n’ roll to know, that even though you are honoring him, he is ours. He is hip-hop. Forever and ever and a day.”
In his acceptance speech, JAY-Z referenced the artists who inspired him when he was younger, including LL Cool J.
“I would watch these guys and, you know, they had big rope chains, and they wore leather,and sometimes even the red-black-green medallions, and whatever they wore, everybody would wear the next day,” he said. “And I was like, ‘That’s what I want to do. I want to be like those guys.’ And so I set out on my journey, writing at my table — shout out to Dr. Gloria Carter in the house, she bought me the green notebook.”
The "Empire State of Mind" artist showed love to the co-founders of Roc-A-Fella.
“We was like, 'We gonna create our own company,' you know? That’s hip-hop. And we created this company called Roc-A-Fella Records,” JAY-Z said. “Shout out to Dame [Dash]; I know we don’t see eye to eye, but I can never erase your accomplishments, and I appreciate you and thank you for that. And shout out to [Kareem] ‘Biggs’ [Burke]; he’s one of the most honorable people I’ve ever met. We created something that will probably never be duplicated.”
LL Cool J, who was enshrined for musical excellence, was joined by Eminem and Jennifer Lopez as he performed hits such as "All I Have" and "Mama Said Knock You Out,” KTLA 5 reports. According to RollingStone, LL was rejected by Hall of Fame voters six times before he was honored on Saturday with the Musical Excellence Award.
The "Going Back to Cali" rapper showed gratitude for the people who continued to support him while he was being repeatedly rejected by the Hall of Fame.
“What people don’t realize is, I wasn’t thinking about the people who voted against me," he said. "I was thinking about the people who voted for me. It was love. Like what I was feeling was, ‘Wow, here’s some people over there who won’t take no for an answer.’ They like, ‘Yo this guy got to be in here and we’re going to keep fighting for you till we get him in here.’ So I thank you.”
Tina Turner was not available in person to accept the award. However, she sent a video speech from Switzerland.
“If they’re still giving me awards at 81,” she said. “I must have done something right.”
The "What's Love Got to Do With It" singer was inducted by Angela Bassett.
“Now let us remember Tina is already a member of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame from her earlier work with Ike Turner,” Bassett said. “However, what brings us here tonight is Tina’s journey to independence. For Tina, hope triumphed over hate. Faith won over fear. And ambition eclipsed adversity.”
Carole King was also inducted on Saturday, along with the Go-Go's, the Foo Fighters and Todd Rundgren. Kraftwerk, Charley Patton and Gil Scott-Heron received the Early Influence Award. Billy Preston and Randy Rhoads were also honored in the Musical Excellence Award category, while Clarence Avant earned the Ahmet Ertegun Award.
“This diverse class of talented inductees reflects the Rock Hall’s ongoing commitment to honor artists whose music created the sound of youth culture,” John Sykes, chairman of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Foundation, stated.
The ceremony was held in person on Saturday after it was conducted virtually last year due to the pandemic.
