Jay-Z, Foo Fighters welcomed into Rock & Roll Hall of Fame

Jay-Z’s added different rubric to a resume that includes rapper, songwriter, Grammy winner, billionaire concern mogul, and planetary icon — Hall of Famer.

The self-proclaimed “greatest rapper alive” was inducted Saturday nighttime arsenic portion of an eclectic 2021 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame people that included Foo Fighters, Carole King, Tina Turner, The Go-Gos and Todd Rundgren.

Once a cause trader connected the pugnacious streets of Brooklyn, New York, Jay-Z roseate done the rap satellite with hard, straight-forward songs that often portrayed the struggles of Black radical successful America.

His catalogue includes songs similar “Hard Knock Life,” “99 Problems” and “Empire State of Mind” arsenic good arsenic 14 No. 1 albums.

Following a video instauration that included President Barack Obama, LeBron James and David Letterman, Jay-Z was inducted by comedian Dave Chappelle, who praised him for being an inspiration.

“He rhymed a look for survival,” Chappelle said. “He embodies what the imaginable of our lives tin beryllium and what occurrence tin be.”

Paul McCartney welcomed Foo Fighters, who person carried the mantle arsenic 1 of rock’s apical arena acts. Initially, the set was small much than a broadside task for beforehand antheral Dave Grohl, who was antecedently inducted arsenic Nirvana’s drummer.

McCartney described the parallels betwixt helium and Grohl arsenic some were portion of massively fashionable bands who broke up.

“Do you deliberation this feline is stalking me?” McCartney joked.

Foo Fighters and McCartney closed the amusement with the Beatles’ “Get Back.”

Rapper LL Cool J was enshrined for philharmonic excellence on with keyboardist Billy Preston and guitarist Randy Rhoads.

Electronic pioneers Kraftwerk, singer-poet Gil Scott-Heron and Delta blues fable Charley Patton were inducted arsenic aboriginal influencers and Sussex Records laminitis Clarence Avant received the Ahmet Ertegun Award.

Cool J recruited immoderate of his heavyweight philharmonic friends to usher him into stone immortality. One of rap’s hip-hops archetypal superstars was joined connected signifier by Eminem and Jennifer Lopez for a almighty career-spanning performance.

With New York thoroughfare benignant and swagger, Cool J remains a applicable creator much than 40 years aft helium archetypal spit lyrics.

“What does LL truly basal for?” asked rapper/producer Dr. Dre successful his induction speech. “Ladies love? Living large? Licking lips? I’m present due to the fact that I deliberation it stands for surviving legend.”

Cool J past did a medley of his hits, including “Rock The Bells” accompanied by a bearded Eminem earlier helium was joined by J-Lo for “All I Have.” Cool J wrapped up his blistering acceptable with with 1 of his biggest hits, “Mama Said Knock You Out.”

Superstar Taylor Swift opened the amusement with 1 of King’s best-known songs, “Will You Love Me Tomorrow,” which appeared connected “Tapestry” her seminal 1971 medium — a soundtrack for a generation.

Swift gave a moving, heartfelt induction code for 1 of her philharmonic idols.

“I can’t retrieve a clip erstwhile I didn’t cognize Carole King’s music,” Swift said, saying her parents taught her respective important lessons arsenic a kid with 1 of the astir important being “that Carole King is the top songwriter of each time.”

King thanked Swift “for carrying the torch forward.” She noted different pistillate singers and songwriters person said they basal connected her shoulders.

“Let it not beryllium forgotten,” King said. “They besides basal connected the shoulders of the archetypal pistillate inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. May she remainder successful power, Miss Aretha Franklin.”

King past introduced Jennifer Hudson, who performed a stunning, rafter-shaking show of “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman” earlier King sang “You Got A Friend.”

The 81-year-old Turner, who recovered her top occurrence erstwhile she near abusive hubby Ike Turner, lives successful Switzerland and did not be the ceremony.

“If they’re inactive giving maine awards astatine 81,” Turner said successful a video message. “I indispensable person done thing right.”

Keith Urban and H.E.R. performed “It’s Only Love” a duet Turner did with Bryan Adams earlier Mickey Guyton took connected her astir iconic song, “What’s Love Got To Do With It.” Then Christina Aguilera belted retired “River Deep, Mountain High.”

Considered the top pistillate radical successful stone history, The Go-Go’s emerged from Los Angeles’ punk country successful the 1980s. The quintet broke rules and smashed sex ceilings successful a male-dominated manufacture with hits similar “We Got The Beat,” “My Lips Are Sealed” and “Head Over Heels.”

“They’ve been successful my idiosyncratic Hall of Fame since I was 6 years old,” said histrion Drew Barrymore, who mimicked the screen of the band’s debut album, “Beauty and the Beat,” during her induction code by wrapping her assemblage and hairsbreadth successful bath towels and applying look cream.

“Now,” she said. “My puerility phantasy is fulfilled.”

Best known for brushed ballads similar “Hello It’s Me” and “Love Is The Answer,” Rundgren besides had a agelong way to induction. He’s been outspoken astir the hall’s enactment process and skipped the ceremonial successful protest.

“Ever defiant,” Patti Smith said successful a video presenting Rundgren.

This year’s ceremonial was held for the archetypal clip astatine Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, the 20,000-seat location of the NBA’s Cleveland Cavaliers and a venue acquainted to Jay-Z and Foo Fighters, who person played shows successful the arena before.

It was a instrumentality to normalcy for the event, which was forced to spell virtual successful 2020 owed to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Artists are not eligible for induction until 25 years aft merchandise of their archetypal recording. There are lively debates each twelvemonth implicit omissions, and arsenic Public Enemy’s Chuck D noted during a plaque induction ceremonial connected Friday astatine the hall, patience is sometimes different request for entrance.

“It ain’t nary overnight thing,” helium said. “You can’t stumble into this place.”

That was surely the lawsuit for King, who had been eligible for enshrinement arsenic a solo creator since 1986. She went successful antecedently arsenic a songwriter with Gerry Goffin, her precocious husband, successful 1990.

The ceremonial volition beryllium shown connected HBO connected Nov. 20.