It’s official. What was first thought to be a rumor was confirmed earlier today and that current Hip-Hop throne holder Kendrick Lamar will be inducting his fellow Compton natives, N.W.A. into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame this year for the 31st annual induction ceremony.
The Westcoast and Gangsta Rap pioneers have known since the end of last year that they would be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame class of 2016. Thus set to become just the fifth Hip-Hop act to be enshrined in Cleveland when the ceremony takes place on April 8th at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center.
There had long been rumors that Lamar would be inducting his fellow Compton emcees, but now with a tweet from the Rock Hall earlier this afternoon it was confirmed and makes perfect sense. Especially with how vocal K-Dot has been in the past about the group being one of his biggest influences in his life and to want to become an emcee himself. With Kendrick even interviewing the remaining members of the group for Billboard last year.
It also makes sense because of the professional ties he has to the group too, as he’s currently signed to Top Dawg Entertainment and Dr. Dre’s Aftermath Entertainment/Interscope Records imprint.
The announcement also comes exactly a week after Ice Cube and his son O’Shea Jackson Jr. awarded Kendrick with the Best Rap Album award at the 58th Annual Grammy Awards for his groundbreaking and politically charged sophomore album, To Pimp a Butterfly.
The legendary Westcoast Hip-Hop group is also scheduled to perform at the ceremony, but details of their set have not yet been revealed.