HOVA

Jay Z Becomes First Rapper Inducted Into Songwriters Hall of Fame

Max Martin, Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds, Berry Gordy also honored.

A week and a half after his wife Beyoncé was snubbed by the Grammy Awards, Jay Z became the first rapper to be inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame this year. Announcing the inductees on CBS This Morning, Nile Rodgers said he believes Jay Z "changed the way we listen to music," and argued that he has not received the respect he deserves, "even though he's had more pop albums than anyone else, because he did it through rap, which isn't traditionally considered part of the normal pop music scene." In addition to Jay Z, this year's honorees include Swedish producer Max Martin; Motown founder Berry Gordy; Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis of The Time; Robert Lamm, James Pankow and Peter Cetera of Chicago; and Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds.