This year, NWA was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Here are four more hip hop artists who deserve the honour.

 
Some thought NWA’s induction was controversial, but anyone passionate about good music knew it was a great choice. Musicians become eligible for induction when their debut record turns 25 years old, which means there are countless more rap groups who deserve the honour. NWA join fellow hip hop artists Run-DMC, Public Enemy, and Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five in the Rock Hall, here are four more who deserve to be inducted.
 

1. A Tribe Called Quest

 
Eligible since last year, A Tribe Called Quest had great success in the 90s and early 2000s by presenting an alternative to West Coast gangsta rap. Tribe spearheaded the Native Tongues movement, which emphasised positive, Afrocentric lyrics over jazzy samples. Tribe’s influence on music and culture is immeasurable.

Founding A Tribe Called Quest Member Phife Dawg tragically passed away earlier this year, making a full reunion out of the question. Still, perhaps a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction would be one way of paying tribute to the great MC.
 

2. 2Pac

 
Tupac Shakur is one of the most iconic solo hip hop artists of all time. His career was famously cut short, but his popularity has continued posthumously. He was an inspiration to many, and his music never shied away from sensitivity. Who else could pull off a heartfelt tribute to their mother and still come away with their tough image intact?

2Pac will be eligible for the first time next year, so the Rock Hall has a chance to get it right. 2Pac’s influence was so great that he was infamously brought back as a hologram a few years ago, and he featured prominently in the surprise conclusion of Kendrick Lamar’s To Pimp A Butterfly last year.
 

3. DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince

 
The pairing of DJ Jazzy Jeff and rapper the Fresh Prince (aka Will Smith, of course) were near unstoppable in their prime. The duo have sold 5.5 million albums in the United States alone, and their songs topped the mainstream charts more than any other hip hop group.

DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince are no stranger to institutional recognition; the duo won the inaugural Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance at the 1989 Grammys. They have the record sales and pop culture recognition to go toe to toe with any of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s current inductees.
 

4. Eric B. & Rakim

 
Eric B. & Rakim saw their fair share of success in the late 80s and early 90s, but it is in influence that this pair stand out. Their seminal 1987 album Paid in Full is one of the most influential hip hop releases of all time. Eric B’s skills behind the decks are second to none, and Rakim is widely considered to be one of the greatest rappers of all time. Known to many as “the God MC,” Rakim changed rhyming forever with his deep, complex, multisyllabic lyrics.

Inducting Eric B. & Rakim would truly be recognising the best of hip hop.
 
Header image is Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Sunset by Derek Jensen (Tysto)