Hip Hop Hall of Fame Induction Criteria
Currently, there is no official criteria for getting inducted into the Hip Hop Hall of Fame. So far, most of those honored have rightly been the pioneers of hip hop, but as we move forward, what should the qualifications entail?
VH1 Hip Hop Honors aspires to "celebrate the players who broke new ground and pioneered the genre into a true cultural phenomenon." VH1 has included all aspects of hip hop culture including music, films, graffiti artists, and breakdancers, but it's unclear how the honorees are a chosen. It seems that the executive producers of the tv show are the ones that make the selections. For 2008, the executive producer is Lee Rolontz for VH1 and Jac Benson for blacjac Entertainment Group (formerly a producer on Yo! MTV Raps), and Nelson George and Fab 5 Freddy are co-executive producers.
For another reference, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame requires a 25 years since the first record was released before the artist becomes eligible for induction. Beyond that, their stated criteria is: "Criteria include the influence and significance of the artists’ contributions to the development and perpetuation of rock and roll." They do not consider sales figures as part of the criteria, since there is not always a correlation between popularity, influence, and innovation.
And how should the inductees be chosen? The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame also uses a special Nominating Committee to select the artists who get nominated for induction each year. The nominees are then sent to 500 music critics and past inductees to be voted on. The general public has no say in who gets in each year. Should the people have a voice in the Hip Hop Hall of Fame?
So, what should the criteria be for getting into the Hall of Fame? Should there be a waiting period? How long? How limited should the definition of Hip Hop be in terms of inducting artists? What about R&B or rockers who rap? Should movies be included? Who should be the ultimate judge?
Let your ideas be heard below:
Current Comments
10 comments so far (post your own)The fifth annual VH1 Hip-Hop Honors will be taped on October 2nd at New York's Hammerstein Ballroom. The show will premiere on VH1 the following Tuesday, October 7th. The honorees and performers will be named later this summer.
Posted by FHHH on Thursday, 07.3.08 @ 07:49am
Fat Boys Forever!
Posted by George on Wednesday, 08.13.08 @ 19:59pm
The Pioneers should all be honored before anybody else (1980s-1995). Why Missy Elliott was honored before Queen Latifah, I'll never know. Missy is awesome in her own right, but it is not her time. There were plenty of women that contributed to rap in some why. You should have at least 1 female honoree each year.
Including films, graffiti artists, and breakdancers and even fashion would be a wonderful touch to each show, something that reflects the era.
I don't know why you've missed some great people so far; Doug E. Fresh, Biz Markie, Boogie Down Production, Heavy D and the Boys, just to name a few. All the people that came prior to 1999 should not be honored no matter how great their music has been or how popular they are. They still have a long way to go in my opinion as being considered honorable.
If you needed to make the shows stretch then cut down your number of honorees and give more details and biographical performances to honor each person. Using dance and that particular person/groups music, the clothing from their time period, a history of what was going on in the world at that time. At the end have the honoree's perform some of their songs and you could easily have a 1.5 to 2 hr long show that was informational and entertaining for the ones who were there and the youngsters who weren't.
Posted by Denise on Wednesday, 10.8.08 @ 14:25pm
I defintely agree with you about the missy elliot thing. No way she should have got in before alot of people like jay-z, nas,queen latifah, heaavy d and the boyz Dr. Dre, scarface, outkast, must I go on! and you are also right they should cut down the number of honerees or make the show longer! good comment on ya behalf!
Posted by Dion Brown on Saturday, 10.11.08 @ 02:00am
You might have to come with a criteria at some point once all the real hip hop cats are in the hall of fame because a lot of what we have today is garbage you have rappers getting credit for being the best rapper today which is crazy best rappers to me spittin today is the lox hands down jay z, nas, ransom just to name a few its been a lot of one hit wonders created the past few years I give it up to two or maybe three of them cats in the south the rest lyrically is ass
Posted by dre on Saturday, 10.11.08 @ 23:17pm
While looking at the previous Hip Hop Honors, I have come to the conclusion about how the honorees are picked: many of them were in the game for awhile. They have made an impact on hip hop, have had several hits and are now either retired or touring doing material that made them legends. After I saw the last HHH, I started thinking about several artist that deserve the honor such as Biz Markie, EMPD, Heavy D and the boyz, Fat Boys, Kool Moe Dee, Dr. Dre, the movie Krush Groove, tribute to Rick James and/or James Brown, Kurtis Blow, Marley Marl (Juice Crew) and Diddy. Others that I thought of were Eminem, Jay Z, Nas, Outkast, Lil Kim, Foxy Brown, Common and Busta Rhymes. Yes these are very well deserving artists, but like I said earlier a lot of the previous honorees aren't putting out any new material. So that does question EPMD. They are one of the all time hip hop duos, up there with Run DMC, but at the present time they have a CD coming out in October. So I guess that eliminates them for the time being. Just like Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince. Well deserving hip hop group, but Will Smith is too big to come to the HHH. So that's my take coming from an old school hip hop head.
Posted by Kevin on Sunday, 10.12.08 @ 20:27pm
After looking at the list of the top 50 hip hop artists,I also feel Gang Starr, MC Hammer, Master P deserve a nod at Hip Hop Honors. All 3 have extensive catalogs, have been in the game for some time and have gravelly made an impact on hip hop. Other groups are 3rd Bass and Nice N Smooth who I am undecided on. Fugees made an impact, but they don't have a catalog unless you do the Fugees, Wyclef, Lauren Hill and Pras as seperate intities.
Posted by Kevin on Sunday, 10.12.08 @ 20:40pm
there are definiterly artist that deserve to be in the Hip Hop Hall of Fame. Also on the 50 greatest MCs. How come Kool G Rap didn't make the list? (and probably never will)What about Grand Puba? Ultra Magnetic? Just-Ice? I could go on...
Posted by RAAJI ROCK (WELL) on Thursday, 10.16.08 @ 14:52pm
Kool Moe Dee (threacherous three) should be up there for sure
Posted by Steve on Monday, 10.20.08 @ 03:34am
I'mma put it to ya like this. Ya have Real School. Then ya have Fool School. 86 the old school and new school. Cuzz to tell it. Much of the game today is polluted.A whole lotta Rah, Rah with no substance. Alotta hooks'. Real school are the mc's, groups', and so forth that have been innovative. Fool school are the sucka's nowadays' that say two seconds' of rhymes'. Then let the hook make 'em. I may piss some people off. I am not saying at this point in time. In the future, when it comes to 50 Cent. Here you have a guy who attacks' mc's for usin a certain formula of rhyme. Then once he gets' people to turn on the other mc's. He releases' songs' of similar nature. That he was dissin brotha man fo'. There needs' to be analysis of longevity, potency of rhyme and vocal styling, social influence,artistry. Do not make it mainstream. That is what is wrong with with the Hip Pop culture nowadays'. Cuzz in this day and age anybody can be Hip Pop. The suburban white kid is Hip Pop. I'm like the Game. Bring back rap music. The music of struggle and buckin the system. Flippin' off Uncle Sam, Paintin the White House black, 2 Live Crew gettin arrested. Bring back REAL SCHOOL AND REAL MC'S. NOT THIS CORPORATE BACKED, CROSSIN OVER TO MAINSTREAM. IN REAL RAP MUSIC CROSSIN OVER IS PUNISHABLE BY EXILE.
Posted by jaydafunkyone26 on Tuesday, 10.21.08 @ 11:26am