Legends Whitney Houston & The Notorious B.I.G. WILL Be Inducted Into The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame!

R&B icon Whitney Houston and Rap legend The Notorious B.I.G. are inductees for the 2020 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame class. And rightfully so! Celebrate inside…

 

Rap & R&B fans! Two legends are about to be honored in a major way.

The late Whitney Houston and the late Notorious B.I.G. (real name Christopher Wallace) will be inducted in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame’s class of 2020. And it’s the first time either of the artists were even nominated to begin with.

The 2020 class also includes Depeche Mode, The Doobie Brothers, Nine Inch Nails, and T-Rex. By the way, Whitney is the only female artist to be inducted in the 35th annual class of inductees.

Whitney Houston’s musical upbringing is one of the most storied in the business, and she was destined for greatness. Her effortless vocal skill attracted interest from multiple labels, and at the age of nineteen was signed by Clive Davis to Arista Records in 1983. Her debut album netted three #1 singles: “Saving All My Love for You,” “How Will I Know,” and “The Greatest Love of All” and topped the Billboard 200 for fourteen weeks.

The Grammy Award winner's ability to connect with audiences set dozens of industry records: the first artist to have seven consecutive #1 hits, the longest-reigning #1 single on the Hot 100 (“I Will Always Love You”), and the first woman to enter the Billboard 200 at #1 (Whitney). Her awards—numerous enough to achieve a nod from Guinness World Records—included an Emmy and six Grammys. Covers of her songs and tributes since her passing in 2012 have come from all corners of the industry, and her voice lives on through the younger generations inspired by her work, including singers like Beyonce and Jennifer Hudson.

Biggie Smalls – aka The Notorious B.I.G. – is celebrated as the greatest of his generation. Born Christopher Wallace in Brooklyn’s Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood, he earned the nickname “Big” as a teenager. His versatile rapping style - laid-back yet hard, complex yet relatable - drew the attention of Sean “Puffy” Combs and Puffy’s new label, Bad Boy records.

Biggie’s music ranged from smooth R&B samples to hard-hitting beats, and his autobiographical approach to storytelling transported you into his life. The music complemented Biggie’s high-end, Versace-laced fashion sense to make him a superstar: the East Coast’s answer to Dr. Dre and Tupac. By 1995, he was the top-selling solo male artist on the rap, R&B and pop charts – all without compromising his art or his street cred.

In March 1997, Biggie was shot and killed at the age of 24, devastating the music community. Two weeks later, his final completed album Life After Death was released. A double-record with equal parts ambition and paranoia, it debuted at number one and included chart-toppers “Hypnotize” and “Mo Money Mo Problems” – making Biggie the first artist to earn multiple posthumous number ones. Biggie’s legacy finds him among the top of “Best Rapper” lists: he’s a direct influence on artists like Jay-Z, Eminem, and Nicki Minaj, and his lyrics have been quoted by Alicia Keys, Michael Jackson, and Usher.

The 35th Annual Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony is set to go down on Saturday, May 2nd at Public Auditorium in Cleveland, Ohio. The Ceremony will be broadcast live for the first time on HBO on May 2nd at 8pm EST.

Performances and special guests will be announced later.

Congrats, Whitney & Biggie!

Photos: Phil Stafford/Shuttershock.com/Rock & Roll Hall of Fame's Twitter

source: theybf