gold star for USAHOF
Another name has been announced as a presenter at this year’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as Snoop Dogg will be inducting the late rapper, Tupac Shakur into the Hall.

The two were friends and label mates on Suge Knight’s Death Row Records and had collaborated on multiple tracks. 

While there are still many details left to be ironed out about the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Ceremony, it is fitting that Snoop that will be a part of Tupac’s induction, which should yield a very moving tribute.   

The ceremony is slated for April 7 in Brooklyn, New York at the Barclay’s Center.

Tupac Shakur has been nominated for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and has a good chance of getting inducted.  If Common has his way, there will be a lot more to follow.

As part of an interview with Rolling Stone, the rapper/actor had this to say:

Queen Latifah is one of the first people to come to mind, A Tribe Called Quest. De La Soul! De La Soul is so powerful. Nas and OutKast are some that come to mind, as well."

The precedent of rap finding a place in the Rock Hall has long been underway with Grandmaster Flash paving the way for other artists like Run DMC, Public Enemy and N.W.A. to follow. 

Nas and OutKast are not yet eligible for the Rock Hall, but will be ranked high by us once eligible.

Now we sit and wait for Gene Simmons’ response.
It’s that time again!

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has unveiled their 2019 Nominees, which has been bumped up to 19 from the traditional 15 that they usually put forth.

As per years previous, we see some familiar nominations, some new faces and a very diverse group of musicians.

The nominees are as follows:

Pearl JamRanked #1 on Notinhalloffame.com.   No shock here, as everyone projected that this very influential band would be nominated on their first year of eligibility.  This might be as close to a lock as it gets in terms of induction.

Kraftwerk:  Ranked #2 on Notinhalloffame.com.  The Germans are back with their fourth nomination.  While this is a band not well known to the casual music fan, they have all heard them sampled in one form or another. 

MC5:  Ranked #6 on Notinhalloffame.com.  Kick Out the Jams!   The proto-punk rock band is back on the ballot after a long absence.  This is their second nomination after twenty-six years of eligibility.

Yes:  Ranked #13 on Notinhalloffame.com.  They are on the ballot for the third time and are the sentimental favorites for many Progressive Rock fans.  They should have been inducted years ago.

Tupac ShakurRanked #15 on Notinhalloffame.com.  This year’s hip hop nominee became a first year nominee.  Expect this to be a first year induction.  Now will he accept the honor in hologram form?

Janet JacksonRanked #22 on Notinhalloffame.com.  This is her second straight nomination, and she is without question the strongest female candidate of the lot.  This should be her year and thus necessitate a logo change from us!

Depeche Mode:  Ranked #26 on Notinhalloffame.com.  This is a big month for them.  They have a new album coming out and they have been nominated for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for the first time.  They have been Hall of Fame eligible for eleven years.

The CarsRanked #33 on Notinhalloffame.com.  This is their second nomination in a row.

Journey:  Ranked #56 on Notinhalloffame.com.  This is their first nomination after seventeen years of eligibility.  The Arena Rock band still has a huge following and also has a large online campaign to get them in.

Jane’s AddictionRanked #60 on Notinhalloffame.com.  This is their first nomination after being eligible for five years.  The connection to early 90’s alternative and Lollapooza makes them a strong candidate.

Steppenwolf:  Ranked #69 on Notinhalloffame.com.  The band who coined the term heavy metal is nominated for the first time in twenty-four years.

The Electric Light OrchestraRanked #80 on Notinhalloffame.com.  This is the first nomination for Jeff Lynne and his band and could make him the final “Wilbury” to be enshrined.

The Zombies:  Ranked #88 on Notinhalloffame.com.  The Zombies return to the ballot for their second time and have been RRHOF eligible for twenty-eight years.

Chic:  Ranked #110 on Notinhalloffame.com.  Here we go again.  Fifteen Years of eligibility, eleven years nominated.  Next year it will be sixteen and twelve

Joe TexRanked #112 on Notinhalloffame.com.  This is the 5th nomination for Joe Tex and first since 2011. 

Chaka Khan:  Ranked #130 on Notinhalloffame.com.  She was nominated last year, though we would have liked to see her nominated with Rufus.

Joan Baez:  Ranked #178 on Notinhalloffame.com.  Is this the biggest surprise of the lot?  Could be.  The folk singer secured her first nomination after being eligible for thirty-two years.

Bad BrainsRanked #248 on Notinhalloffame.com.   A shocker, but in a good way.  This is a very influential group from Washington D.C. though we don’t expect them to pull another surprise out of their hat and get enshrined this year.  This is their first nomination after ten years of eligibility.



Did they get it right? 

For us, the biggest surprise is that Nine Inch Nails were not nominated after being put forth on the ballot the last two years, but overall we like this group.

What are your thoughts?

It is a sad reality that an early death can make a star into a legend, and in the case of 2pac, he turned into a martyr.

Love him or hate him, 2pac would become the face of Gangsta Rap and did so not only as a rapper, but also as a very solid actor.  The man born Tupac Shakur, would emerge from being a back-up dancer for the Digital Underground would became the voice of the East Coast Gangsta lifestyle and spent as much time in jail as he did in the recording studio.