N.W.A was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on Friday, April 8, 2016.
The four living members of the notorious rap group, Dr. Dre, Ice Cube, MC Ren, and DJ Yella, as well as, the late Eazy-E’z mother, were on hand at the Brooklyn’s Barclays Center at their induction ceremony.
The group got some support from Kendrick Lamar who is also from Compton. Lamar has been one of the biggest names in rap music over the last two years.
“Are we rock and roll?” Ice Cube said during his heartfelt speech. “I say, you goddamn right we rock and roll. Rock and roll is not an instrument. Rock and roll is not even a style of music. Rock and roll is a spirit. It’s a spirit that’s been going since the blues, jazz, bebop, soul, R&B, rock and roll, heavy metal, punk rock, and yes, hip-hop. What connects us all is that spirit. Rock and roll is not conforming to the people who came before you, but creating your own path in music and in life. That is rock and roll and that is us.”
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame ceremony will be aired on HBO on April 30. Kendrick also gave a resounding speech while defining the true meaning of “gangster.”
“Being gangster symbolizes a hustle that you can change your reality,” Lamar explains. “The true meaning of gangster, being able to show what it takes to be the world’s biggest music group. Being gangster is forming iconic labels: Ruthless Records, Death Row, Aftermath Records. Being gangster is breaking out to become a movie star, a movie producer, and having your own son play you as a retrospect to your career, Straight Outta Compton.
Watch Kendrick Lamar, Dr. Dre, Ice Cube and others speech below.
congrats!