Hip Hop Aint Rock N Roll

So I hear the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame has deigned to consider Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five worthy of entrance. A couple of friends as well as some complete strangers have been gushing about, chests poked out like some first grader getting his first 'A' mark. I'm not receiving the news so well.

First, Hip Hop is not Rock n Roll. They are separate and distinct genres with very little structural overlap. They have separate musical traditions, separate histories even if they are both roted in African-american culture. The key guideline the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame voters use in their consideration is "the influence and significance of the artist's contributions to the development and perpetuation of rock and roll". Maybe it will be relevant for genre mashers like Limp Bizkit or Korn (hm, that ballot should be amusing), but who in all seriousness can put forth an argument that GM & FF advanced rock n roll? No one, it's a fraudulent move. Allow me to further illustrate: KRS One is considered a Hip Hop Legend. There is no disputing his relevance to the genre nor his place in its history. Does he meet the criteria? How about LL?

My second point: why? Why induct hip hop artists into the RRHF? In a word, revenue. You see, hip hop was easy to ignore in the late 70s and 80s when it was emergent and looking every bit of "just a fad". That dismissive attitude prevailed right up until the 90s when it started to become clear that hip hop music wasn't going away and worse, was taking a permanent hold on the charts and even permeating popular culture. Just as the Grammys had to finally respond to the appearance of the Source Awards and other venues for recognition of the genre's artists, so too does the RRHF, which is in the business of co-opting music history for profit, have to pursue this revenue stream. People who don't give a shit about Mick Jagger or John Lennon will probably want to come $ee an exhibit of "The Wheels of Steel".

Final point: Should hip hop artists and fans care? Do we still after two and a half decades need validation of the genre? Will this really convince someone still holding out against hip hop to go pick up a few discs and "see what all the fuss is about"? I doubt that. Frankly, this feels like a land grab to me. There are plenty of other venues which are dedicated to recognizing the genre and its artists and milestones. So, I'm disinclined to throw a parade for invaders, no matter how shiny their chariots and how many pretty baubles they bring to honor us.