Kendrick Lamar Inducts N.W.A. Into Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame: Watch

Christina Lee | April 9, 2016 12:04 pm
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On April 8, Kendrick Lamar inducted N.W.A. into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. His speech is a must-see.

Kendrick honored each individual member of the pioneering West Coast hip-hop group, saying that Ice Cube provided a blueprint for his own music, mentor Dr. Dre encouraged him to keep going, and the late Eazy-E was “the gatekeeper of reality rap.”

But he also spoke of each member as if they were family. As he listed their contributions, one by one, Kendrick grinned as he egged on the crowd. “I said ‘Fuck the Police,’ ‘Express Yourself,’” he said forcefully, making fans scream louder.

Kendrick also argued that, while critics panned N.W.A. for being gangsta rappers, the group still demands respect. “What it was for me was an intimate look at what was actually happening in our community in Los Angeles, and in Compton in particular,” he said.

His speech was a fitting introduction for N.W.A.’s own speeches. Last month, KISS‘s Gene Simmons predicted “the death of rap” in a decade. But MC Renwasn’t having it: “I want to say to Mr. Gene Simmons, hip-hop is here forever. Get used to it.”

Watch Kendrick Lamar induct N.W.A. into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame below.

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