On Friday, April 7, 2017, Tupac Shakur was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Tupac is the first solo hip-hop artist to be inducted and received entry on his first year of eligibility. He joins fellow hip-hop artists Run DMC, Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, The Beastie Boys, Public Enemy, and NWA.

From the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame’s induction biography of Tupac:

Beyond his popularity, Tupac Shakur is one of the most complex figures to emerge from hip-hop – really, to emerge from any art form.

His naked emotion and fearless personal revelation were a direct influence on MCs from Eminem to Kendrick Lamar. “Every rapper who grew up in the ’90s owes something to Tupac,” wrote 50 Cent in Rolling Stone, paying tribute to Shakur as one of the “100 Greatest Artists Of All Time.”

In a recording career tragically cut short after just five years, Tupac Shakur sold over 75 million records worldwide, with All Eyez On Me and his Greatest Hits collection both surpassing the ten million sales mark.  Since his murder in 1996 at the age of 25, Tupac’s legend and impact have continued to expand across the globe. He has become an international symbol of resistance and outlaw spirit, an irresistible contradiction, a definitive rap anti-hero.

We are incredibly honored that Tupac has been selected as one of the 2017 inductees for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Thank you to the nominating committee and to his fans who supported his nomination by voting.

This award recognizes how Tupac’s message of change and mission to give a voice to those who didn’t have one continues to resonate with millions of people to this day. They are the reason Tupac’s legacy lives on.