The post Rock Hall Chairman Explains Why Hall of Fame Won’t Be Renamed appeared first on Consequence.

With Dolly Parton and Eminem was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in recent yearsThere was debate in some circles that the organization should drop the “rock and roll” part of its name. In a recent interview with Vulture, Rock Hall chairman John Sykes dismissed the idea, saying it was important to “communicate that rock and roll is open to everyone.”

“I think it’s because some people don’t understand the meaning of rock and roll,” Sykes said. “If you go back to the original sound of the ’50s, that’s it. As Missy Elliot calls it, it was a gumbo. It became known simply as rock and roll. So when I hear people say, “They should just turn it into the Music Hall of Fame,” then rock and roll has pretty much covered all the ground. Instead of throwing away the name, it better conveys to people where rock and roll comes from and what it’s really about. As soon as they hear it like that, they understand.”

As an example, he pointed to JAY-Z’s initial rejection of his inclusion a few years ago. “He told me, ‘Rock is dead.’ “It was supposed to be called ‘Hip-Hop Hall of Fame,'” Sykes remembers. “And I said, ‘Well, hip-hop is rock ‘n’ roll.’ He says, ‘No, it’s not that.’ And I said, ‘We’ve got to explain it better.’ Little Richard, Otis Redding, Chuck Berry – these artists were the cornerstones of rock ‘n’ roll. If you look at the sounds over the years, these artists ultimately influenced hip-hop.'”

Although the rapper was still “pacing up and down,” he decided to show up to the ceremony, which made Sykes “feel like we had accomplished our mission and conveyed that rock ‘n’ roll is open to everyone.”

It’s worth noting that JAY-Z was far from the first rapper to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. When the artist was inducted in 2021, he joined artists such as The Notorious BIG, Tupac, NWA and Public Enemy. Since then, Eminem and Missy Elliott have followed in her footsteps.

The most recent Rock Hall ceremony took place last October and celebrated Ozzy Osbourne, Cher, A Tribe Called Quest and more. Sign up for Disney+ to watch on-demand.

The Rock Hall chairman explains why the Hall of Fame won’t be renamed
Eddie Fu

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