Jay Z the first rapper named to Songwriters Hall of Fame
Hip-hop icon Jay Z is the first rapper chosen for the Songwriters Hall of Fame, heading a class of inductees that also features Motown Records founder Berry Gordy and R&B crooner Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds, the group said Wednesday.
The 47-year-old Jay Z, who has sold more than 100 million records in his career since his debut “Reasonable Doubt” in 1996, is a 21-time Grammy winner — and the husband of pop diva Beyonce.
“Also a powerful entrepreneur across the music/entertainment, fashion and sports industries, Jay Z personifies the ‘American Dream’,” the Songwriters Hall of Fame said in a statement announcing the class of 2017.
He will be inducted into the Hall on June 15 in New York along with Gordy, Edmonds and three members of the band Chicago — Robert Lamm, James Pankow and Peter Cetera.
Other inductees include songwriting-production duo Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis — best known for their work with Janet Jackson — and hit-maker Max Martin, who has written songs for groups from the Backstreet Boys to Katy Perry and The Weeknd.
In this article
Related
Guardian Life
Music
Film
Get the latest news delivered straight to your inbox every day of the week. Stay informed with the Guardian’s leading coverage of Nigerian and world news, business, technology and sports.
0 Comments
We will review and take appropriate action.