Jay Z Becomes The First Rapper Ever To Be Inducted Into The Songwriters Hall Of Fame

Jay Z is having a pretty great year. The rapper, who’s expecting twins with wife Beyoncé , has gone from “bricks to Billboard, from grams to Grammys,” and now he’s a Hall of Famer. 

On Wednesday, it was announced that the rapper will be inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame this summer, making him the first rapper ever to earn the honor. Songwriters are eligible for induction when they’ve written hit tracks for two decades, according to the BBC . (It begs the question, though, why it took until 2017 for a rapper to receive the honor.)

”It’s massive. He has changed the way that we listen to music. He’s changed the way that we have fun,” said Chic guitarist Nile Rodgers, who announced the inductees on CBS, according to Billboard .

Other songwriters to be inducted this year include Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds, Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, Robert Lamm, James Pankow & Peter Cetera (of Chicago) and the man who gave us the Britney Spears masterpiece “... Baby One More Time,” Max Martin. 

“The songwriters we honor cross genre, regional and even national boundaries — R & B, Rap, Pop and Rock & Roll from both coasts, the American heartland and Sweden,” SHOF co-chairs Kenneth Gamble and Leon Huff and president Linda Moran said in a statement. “We are thrilled to once more have the opportunity to preside over an event that recognizes the convergence of song craft and musical performance at the very highest level.”

The inductees will be honored at the 48th annual Induction and Awards Dinner, to be held this June. 

We’ll be over here, patiently waiting for all the post-event photos of Jay with Blue Ivy, being the cutest father-daughter duo around. Maybe we’ll even get to see the new twins!