Eric B. & Rakim aren’t holding any grudges over being snubbed for the second time by the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
The legendary Hip Hop duo were announced as nominees back in February. This week, it was revealed that they didn’t garner enough votes to be inducted, much like their first nomination back in 2012. On the bright side, Mary J. Blige and A Tribe Called Quest will be receiving the prestigious honor this year along with Cher, Dave Matthews Band, Foreigner, Peter Frampton, Kool & The Gang and Ozzy Osbourne, and this is something the rapper and producer aren’t upset about.
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In a joint statement to TMZ published on Tuesday (April 22), Eric B. & Rakim said: “Congratulations to the diverse group of artists inducted into the Rock Hall this year. Seeing Tribe and Mary on the list besides Cher, Ozzy, Kool and the Gang and all of the other icons shows how inclusive the institution has become. Keep voting … we’ll join you soon!”
Tribe had previously been nominated twice for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame — in 2022 and 2023 — and have now made it in on their third attempt, so there’s still much hope for the New York duo.
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After the group missed out last year, longtime Tribe affiliate Consequence slammed the Rock Hall organizers on social media, saying: “What we not gon’ do is keep subjugating that name, A Tribe Called Quest, to a white popularity contest, and having them in there as the token n-ggas pick. We gon’ stop that.”
He added: “On a political side, what I ain’t really feeling is that now, we gotta explain 0 for 2. The merit of the music, you can’t put a record on that. You can’t put an 0 for 2 on A Tribe Called Quest and what they did for Black music. You can’t do that. I can’t allow you to do that.”
Mary J. Blige was also nominated in 2021, but failed to get in on her first try as well.
Eric B. and Rakim are one of the culture’s most iconic duos. Emerging on the scene during the golden age of Hip Hop, their 1987 debut album Paid In Fullremains a specimen of excellence for both younger and older artists from a musical and stylistic standpoint.
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Additionally, classic records such as “I Ain’t No Joke,” “Eric B. For President” and “Know The Ledge” have stood the test of time and are widely recognized as building blocks of Hip Hop.
