Sean Carter – aka Jay Z – has joined the greats and become the first rapper to be ever inducted into the song writers hall of fame in the US.
Jay is known for incredible pieces of music like Dead Presidents, Fade to Black, Blue Print (I – III), Watch the Throne – which he worked on with Kanye West – Magna Carta Holy Grail (his latest album from 2013), among others.
He has collaborated with some of the greats in the rap game.
The induction into the hall of fame is an incredible achievement, given that no rapper has ever achieved this in history. He will now join some of the greatest artists of all time, including Marvin Gaye, Bob Dylan, Dolly Parton, Bruce Springsteen and Michael Jackson.
He took some time to reflect on what this achievement meant for rap, which he expressed in a tweet:
As a fan, I think he stands out among rappers, not only because he has been producing great music consistently for decades, but also because he prefers not to write down lyrics.
Instead, he listens to a sample of various beats from several producers. And when one ‘clicks’, he starts “spitting bars” – just like that.
The only other rapper, known to have been brilliant at this is the late Notorious B.I.G – whom Jigga idolised in some respects.
It is an incredible achievement for Jay who has also helped bring mega superstars to prominence like Kanye West, J Cole, Rhianna, among others.
In recent times, Carter has mainly focused on his business ventures which include the record company Roc Nation Records, sports management agencies, among other things. He is yet to release an album since his last work – Magna Carter, Holy Grail in 2013.
But as we know, Jay doesn’t rush it – it will come, when it ‘the time is right’.
All the best to HOV and congratulations.