Slain rap legend Tupac Shakur and emblematic grunge-era rockers Pearl Jam were nominated Tuesday to enter the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, in a field that includes Depeche Mode and Joan Baez.
Of
the 19 acts in running for induction in 2017, Pearl Jam and Tupac were
the only ones who were eligible this year for the first time.
The
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, which will announce the winners in
December, is open to artists who released their first single or album at
least 25 years ago.
Tupac, who was gunned down in
Las Vegas in 1996, remains one of the top artists in the hip-hop canon,
winning a global following with his lyrical directness and dramatic
flair.
Pearl Jam, still active with a loyal fan
base, emerged as one of the biggest forces in the US alternative music
boom of the early 1990s, bringing frontman Eddie Vedder's raw edge to
classic rock.
Pearl Jam also made headlines for
its activism, with Vedder upfront about his left-leaning politics and
the band boycotting ticket giant Ticketmaster over charges passed on to
customers.
Nirvana, the fellow Seattle grunge
rockers often seen as Pearl Jam's rivals with an angrier, more anguished
sound, were inducted in 2014, which was Nirvana's first year of
eligibility.
Tupac's nomination came a year after the Hall of Fame
added N.W.A., fellow gangsta rappers from the Los Angeles area known
for their loaded denunciations of police brutality.
Janet
Jackson, the pop superstar and sister of late king of pop Michael
Jackson, was in the running for the second straight year.
Other
repeat nominees included "queen of funk" Chaka Khan; The Cars, who
defined the New Wave sound of classic pop melodies and synthesizers; and
Chic, the disco titans led by prolific producer Nile Rodgers who have
been nominated a record 11 times without winning.
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