On April 7th, the music world will descend on the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY for the 2017 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony. This year’s inductees are an eclectic mix of influential and important musical acts, with ELO, Journey, Joan Baez and Yes all finally getting inducted into the hall, alongside first-time nominees Pearl Jam. Of course, iconic hip-hop superstar Tupac Shakur will be inducted posthumously, following N.W.A. into the hall after their induction last year.
Tupac was certainly a controversial figure, switching allegiance from East Coast to West Coast and igniting the heated explosion of gangster rap during the 1990s, alienating a ton of friends along the way and building the tension in the hip-hop community tremendously. This, of course, eventually led to his death, as a result of a still-unsolved drive-by shooting in Las Vegas on September 7th, 1996.
When Tupac’s induction to the Hall of Fame was announced earlier this year, fans wondered who the proper choice would be to honor his legacy. Now, according to a report by Rolling Stone, Tupac’s old partner-in-crime, West Coast rap legend Snoop Dogg, will induct him into the Hall of Fame on April 7th. There’s also a TMZ report stating that Snoop and Dr. Dre will perform a medley of Tupac songs, including the Dr. Dre / Tupac single “California Love” and likely including the Snoop Dog / Tupac collaboration “2 of Amerikaz Most Wanted.” However, it should be noted that the details of the performance have not been nailed down at this time.
If the reports are true, April 7th should be a great night for the Rock and Roll of Fame.