NWA joins quartet of 1970s hitmakers in rock hall

The induction ceremony will be held on April 8 in Brooklyn’s Barclays Center with HBO televising the event later that spring. Artists qualify for induction 25 years after their first record, and must “have demonstrated unquestionable musical excellence”. The other inductees are Deep Purple and Steve Miller.

Cheap Trick, a rock band that ripped through the ’70s and ’80s, had been eligible since 2002.

Naturally, N.W.A. had a major boost this year with the release of Straight Outta Compton.

The big news this year is that gangsta rap pioneers N.W.A are on their way into the Hall Of Fame. Coming along for the low rider cruise into the Hall are Cheap Trick, Steve Miller, Chicago (it’s wonderful that they’re not in there already), and Deep Purple. Los Angeles rap act N.W.A. joins a quartet of 1970s era FM radio rockers as inductees in the 2016 class at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

“Usually, I’m a man of many words, but this has got me in a tizzy here”, he says. N.W.A. will be the fifth hip-hop act inducted into the hall, following Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five (2007), Run-D.M.C. (2009), the Beastie Boys (2012) and Public Enemy (2013).

As is inevitable with Rock Hall announcements, there are some baffling snubs. There was never any despairing about it because we were still working and we still are working, whether we’re honored with it or not.

Though Chicago’s popularity is unquestionable, co-founder Robert Lamm thought that the time had passed for the band to get an induction, but was pleasantly surprised they finally were getting the honor.

Honestly, I don’t know why I even bother to get mad at the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame anymore. Others who were nominated this year but didn’t make the cut include Janet Jackson, Nine Inch Nails and The Smiths. “If I was running the HALL OF FAME, I wouldn’t have known how to do it – But it looks like we’re in and I’m very pleased”. As the Rock Hall said in their press release, they have stayed consistent over their nearly forty years “Remaining interesting, sometimes hilarious, in that way is also pretty much unparalleled – and indispensable to understanding them”.