News of March 13, 2002
Tupac and Biggie Among the First Members of the Hip-Hop Hall of Fame
On March 13, 2002, the first 15 members of a Hip-Hop Hall of Fame were inducted in New York, including Tupac and The Notorious B.I.G.
Tupac is among the first members of a new Hip-Hop Hall of Fame. The induction took place on Wednesday, March 13, 2002, at the Puck Building in New York, kicking off the Hip-Hop Super Conference & Expo. The honor was conceived by David Olu, who gave lectures on the culture worldwide.
Fifteen Names
Alongside Tupac, The Notorious B.I.G., Afrika Bambaataa, LL Cool J, Queen Latifah, Run-DMC, KRS-One, Salt-N-Pepa, Slick Rick, Doug E. Fresh, breakdancer Crazy Legs, DJs Kool Herc and Grandmaster Flash, Russell Simmons, and late graffiti artist Dondi were inducted. Visitors to a website had voted in the months leading up to the event. According to the organizers, Biggie led with 60 percent of the vote.
Many Seats Remained Empty
Only some of the honorees attended the celebration. Slick Rick called the induction “an honor,” while Doug E. Fresh passed his honor on to rapper Busy Bee, his childhood role model. Jam Master Jay accepted the award on behalf of Run-DMC. The organizers were still looking for a permanent location for a museum. Additional honors for Tupac can be found under Awards.