Eminem The Next Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Inductee? Rapper Is Nominated Despite Being a Hip-Hop Artist, Here's Why

Slim Shady is one step away from being inducted.

The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame's 2022 nominees have been announced, and the list includes artists such as Eminem, Dolly Parton, Lionel Richie, Lionel Richie, Beck, Duran Duran, Carly Simon, Pat Benatar, A Tribe Called Quest, Kate Bush, Devo, Judas Priest, Eurythmics, Fela Kuti, MC5, New York Dolls, and Rage Against the Machine.

The top vote-getters will be revealed in May, and they will be enshrined into the Hall of Fame in the autumn.

More commonly known as Eminem, Marshall Bruce Mathers is one of the many artists nominated for induction at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

If Eminem gets inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in May, he will become just the second white hip-hop artist in history to do so, after the Beastie Boys, who were inducted into the hall in 2012.

Eligibility speaking, Eminem is one of the 17 nominees who got nominated in his first year of eligibility.

To become eligible for nomination, the artists must have had released their album in 1996 or earlier. In Slim Shady's case, his debut album was released in November 1996 - making him eligible for the nominations.

The 49-year old rapper would become the seventh hip hop performer to be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, as Jay-Z was the last rapper to have been inducted, also on his first year of eligibility.

However, a glaring question is up in the air -- how come Eminem and other hip-hop acts be qualified if he for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame?

Hip-Hop acts in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame?

Last year, the Hall received flak from KISS frontman Gene Simmons for snubbing significant rock acts like Iron Maiden and the now-nominated Rage Against The Machine.

Since the controversy, the foundation has addressed genre-crossing concerns.

Chairman of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Foundation John Sykes told Billboard that like how any artist evolves in their career, the Hall of Fame should do so too.

"Rock and roll was the music for so many years that moved youth culture. It still is part of it, but now you have hip-hop and rap that really is part of that.", he continued.

Sykes reiterated that the foundation has an "ongoing commitment to

honor the artists who really created the sound of youth culture".

This commitment means that genres like Hip-Hop, R&B, and rap are now broadly considered because "the Rock Hall has to evolve with the music that is impacting youth culture" in which the Hall has built in the first place.