It’s official: after garnering his first-ever nomination this year, Eminem, AKA Marshall Mathers III, has transitioned from a controversial young Y2K-era rapper into a potential Rock & Roll Hall of Famer.
Eminem is one of 17 artists and/or bands nominated for the 2022 Hall of Fame — a prestigious career honour for musicians. In order to be eligible for Hall-of-Fame status, artists must have released their first commercial recording a minimum of 25 years before the year of nomination — so this is not an award for younger artists, no matter how much we love them (sorry, Harry Styles).
The other Rock & Roll Hall of Fame nominees this year (the winners will be announced in May) represent a wide range of musical styles and eras, including Dolly Parton, Kate Bush and Pat Benatar.
Related: Sign up for the Slice newsletter.
Eminem, the Grammy-winner who is one of the richest rappers in the world, is making a spotlight resurgence as of late. In addition to his Hall of Fame nomination this week, he is also set to perform alongside Kendrick Lamar, Snoop Dogg, Mary J. Blige and Dr. Dre at the Super Bowl Halftime show on Feb. 13 — joining the ranks of other musical icons like The Weeknd and Shakira and Jennifer Lopez, who performed in 2021 and 2020, respectively.
See also: Why is the history of punk music so white?
