Although it has by no means been a Hip-Hop hotbed, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame could get a much needed injection of Hip-Hop in 2008. Afrika Bambaataa and the Beastie Boys were both nominated for induction next year. The Beastie Boys and Afrika Bambaataa were part of a list of first-time nominees that included Madonna, the Dave Clark Five, Leonard Cohen, John Mellencamp, the Ventures, Donna Summer and Chic.
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame bylaws state that artists are eligible for induction 25 years after the release of their first record. Criteria include the influence and significance of the artists’ contributions to the development and perpetuation of rock and roll. Afrika Bambaataa’s classic “Planet Rock” and the Beastie Boys first EP, Polly Wog Stew both officially debuted in 1982. Currently Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, who were inducted this year, are the only Hip-Hop inductees.
