On June 25, 1996, Jay-Z dropped his debut album, Reasonable Doubt. Fast forward to October 30, 2021, when Jay-Z was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Over the past twenty-five years, he has built his music catalog, claiming the title “music icon” and becoming eligible to be an inductee into this prestigious museum.

The 36th annual Rock and Roll Hall of Fame ceremony was held in Cleveland, Ohio. Jay-Z was a part of the “Performer Category” for this year’s class along with Tina Turner, Foo Fighters, The Go-Go’s, Carole King, and Todd Rundgren. 

Comedian, Dave Chappelle, inducted the music mogul into the Hall, singing praises to Jay-Z as not only a friend but as a fan of his musical accomplishments. After Chappelle’s speech, Jay-Z gave thanks and acknowledged the many people that helped him get to the place he is at today. 

Jay-Z started his speech by thanking the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for honoring him and shouting out his hip-hop heroes, such as LL Cool J (another inductee), Rakim, Big Daddy Kane, and several others. He talked about the influence these musical figures had on his generation and how he wanted to make that same impact, thanking those who made this induction possible. He concluded his speech by saying he doesn’t know what’s in the future for the next generation, yet following up with a joke about his imminent court date the following day. The message and emotions he wanted to portray throughout his speech were palpable, showing that anything is possible.

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony is streaming now on HBO.