The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio has admitted its first Rap group. Yes that’s right! Grandmaster Flash and The Furious Five were honored last week for their contribution to Rock n Roll.

If I didn’t grow up in the era of Bboys and Emcees, I might have questioned the link between the two genres. Although I am not sure which of the pre-determined qualifications Flash, Melle Mel, Scorpio, Raheim, Kid Creole and Cowboy fell into, I do know this:

Rap music, like Rock has its roots in traditional African music with strong drumlines and rhythmic beats. When rap was pioneered it featured samples of catchy rock songs to create music for Emcees to rhyme over. It can probably be said that NYC street style in the late 70’s also had something to do with the leather pants and spiked bracelets commonly associated with metal or punk bands.

While I don’t profess to be an expert on the correlation between Grandmaster Flash and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, one thing is for certain. Rap helped spawn a generation of hip hoppers that now enjoy fame as rock artists (e.g. Kid Rock, Linkin Park and Limp Bizkit). In fact it can be said that a three man group out of Hollis Queens saved the career of Aerosmith with the collaboration “Walk This Way”.

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is described as “A permanent Museum exhibit that celebrates the lives and work of Hall of Fame inductees.” The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame honors the legendary performers, producers, songwriters, disc jockeys and others who have made rock and roll the force that it is in our culture. For a decade and a half, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation has been nominating and electing those figures, and honoring them at an annual ceremony that has become one of the most celebrated events of the year, and certainly one of the hottest tickets in rock.

What are your thoughts? Do you think that Grandmaster Flash and The Furious Five belong in the Rock Hall? Feel free to add your comment below.

About Elections of Inductees:

Leaders in the music industry joined together in 1983 to establish the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation. One of the Foundation’s many functions is to recognize the contributions of those who have had a significant impact on the evolution, development and perpetuation of rock and roll by inducting them into the Hall of Fame.

The Categories

Performers
Artists become eligible for induction 25 years after the release of their first record. Criteria include the influence and significance of the artist’s contributions to the development and perpetuation of rock and roll.
The Foundation’s nominating committee, composed of rock and roll historians, selects nominees each year in the Performer category. Ballots are then sent to an international voting body of about 1,000 rock experts. Those performers who receive the highest number of votes, and more than 50 percent of the vote, are inducted. The Foundation generally inducts five to seven performers each year.

Non-Performers
Songwriters, producers, disc jockeys, record executives, journalists and other industry professionals who have had a major influence on the development of rock and roll.

Early Influences
Artists whose music predated rock and roll but had an impact on the evolution of rock and roll and inspired rock’s leading artists.
The special selection committee elects the inductees in the Non-performer and Early Influences categories.

Side Men
This category was introduced in 2000. It honors those musicians who have spent their career out of the spotlight, performing as backup musicians for major artists on recording sessions and in concert. Though they often play a key role in the creation of memorable music, the public rarely knows them by name. A separate committee, composed primarily of producers, selects the inductees in this category.