John Sykes, president of the foundation, said in a statement that this year coincides with Nelson’s 90th birthday and the 50th anniversary of the invention of hip-hop.
Clive “DJ Kool Herc” Campbell, credited with inventing hip-hop when he released two turntables at a Bronx party in 1973, was among the many artists and music professionals to receive special awards this year. The full list of honorees is here.
Elliott has a special privilege of being voted into the hall—an elite body determined by the votes of hundreds of artists, historians, and music professionals around the world—once she became eligible: 25 years after the release of her debut album, “Supa Dupa Fly” in 1997. She’s recently been in the spotlight. due to his 2015 music video “WTF (Where They Are From)”.
“It’s impossible to take your eyes off her,” Washington Post critic Robin Givhan wrote at the time. “Not because she flaunts a body that has not known carbohydrates since the turn of the last century, but because she moves with such pleasure and unwavering control. Because she is very dynamic. Because she used fashion and elegance to create a witty, attractive and complex personality.”
The seemingly immortal Nelson, on the other hand, performed a star-studded prom on his 90th birthday a few days before announcing his induction.
The Hall’s 38th Annual Induction Gala will be held in November in Brooklyn.