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The sky is still the limit: Whitney Houston and The Notorious B.I.G join over 200 artists in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
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In a taped HBO special Saturday night (Nov. 7), the late singer and rapper were inducted into the Rock Hall with the help of Alicia Keys, Diddy, Jay-Z, and Nas.
“We all know what a miraculous singer Whitney was, perhaps the greatest voice of our all-time,” said Keys. “We all know how her unprecedented success brought Black women into the absolute highest reaches of the music industry’s pantheon. We all know that her music will live forever — that music, that everlasting voice is her final generous gift to us. And she will now be one of the brightest lights ever to shine in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.”
Accepting the award on Houston’s behalf were her mother and aunt, Cissy and Pat Houston. Her aunt shared that this accomplishment was something she had always wanted, “I remember in 2009 we were in London and Whitney looked at me and said, ‘This is really special but there’s only one thing missing — I got to get into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.’”
Photo by Chris Walter/WireImage
A complete 360 moment came about for the Brooklyn rapper as he was inducted by his close friend who signed him onto Bad Boy Records in 1993: Diddy.
“Nobody has come close to the way Biggie sounds, to the way he raps, to the frequency that he hits. Tonight, we are inducting the greatest rapper of all-time,” the 51-year-old shared.
The tribute continued with the help of fellow Brooklyn lyricist Nas who said Biggie “represents Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn, New York City, America, the world and he represents the Black experience.”
Photo by Mitchell Gerber/Corbis/VCG via Getty Images)
The Grammy-award winning rapper Jay-Z recalled feeling “a little worried for myself as an artist” after B.I.G sent him a demo of “Life After Death.”
“The human side of him came through in his music and I think it moved the molecules in the world. I know for a fact it pointed me in the (right) direction and I’m sure that’s happened to millions and millions of people worldwide.”
On behalf of the Soul Train Music Award winner, the honor was accepted by his son and daughter, C.J. and T’yanna Wallace.
Tell us: Who should be inducted next?
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