Jay-Z added another title to his heavy-duty resume, that includes rapper, songwriter, Grammy winner, billionaire business mogul, and global icon.
The self-proclaimed "greatest rapper alive" was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame along with an eclectic 2021 class that included Foo Fighters, Carole King, Tina Turner among others.
Once a drug dealer on the tough streets of Brooklyn, New York, Jay-Z rose through the rap world with hard, straight-forward songs that often portrayed the struggles of Black people in America.
His catalogue includes songs like "Hard Knock Life," "99 Problems" and "Empire State of Mind" as well as 14 No. 1 albums.
Following a video introduction that included President Barack Obama, LeBron James and David Letterman, Jay-Z was inducted by comedian Dave Chappelle, who praised him for being an inspiration.
Paul McCartney welcomed Foo Fighters into the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame, comparing his career after the Beatles' breakup to Dave Grohl emerging like a phoenix out of the ashes of Nirvana’s untimely end with a new approach to music.
Artists are not eligible for induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, until 25 years after release of their first recording.