When the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame released its list of nominees for 2022 induction, the debate we’ve come to expect given the institution’s history wasn’t far behind. There’s no shortage of gripes from fans, many having to do with the Hall’s apparent blind spot for Black female artists and post-disco R&B acts. What happened to Chaka Khan, nominated several times in the past but conspicuously absent this year? Why has it taken Dionne Warwick so long to get in? Sade’s never even been nominated. How about groundbreaking Black punk outfit Bad Brains? And surely George Michael deserves a shout, right?
But the most head-scratching news of all is the first-time nomination of Eminem, whose inclusion this year highlights, once again, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame’s rather disrespectful treatment of hip-hop.
Let’s get this out of the way. Marshall Mathers, taken on his own…
