Jay Z is the first rapper that will be inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. He will join Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, and Berry Gordy Jr., who deferred his induction last year.

Jay Z reacted to the historic news on Twitter, "By the way, this is a win for US. I remember when rap was said to be a fad. We are now alongside some of the greatest writers in history."

Linda Moran, president of the Songwriters Hall of Fame since 2001, revealed that Jay was considered for an award last year. She explained, “To be honest with you, last year we talked about it a lot. Our board and community wasn’t ready. This year we felt that they had been educated enough.”

She added, “Jay Z is pop music but presents it in a different manner. This just shows that we accept it and acknowledge that. It’s a step into the future. We can’t nurture young songwriters if we can’t accept them and grow with them.”

Source: New York Times