Snoop Dogg will be on hand at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame ceremony on April 7 to induct his late friend Tupac Shakur. The HOF induction is said to be a bit of a Death Row Records reunion according to TMZ who first reported that Snoop will be heading up the Tupac tribute . Dr. Dre is said to be in talks to join Snoop on stage as they honor Tupac Shakur for everything he contributed to music during his short life.
The 2017 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony for Tupac Shakur will reportedly include a performance of some of the rapper’s biggest hits. There will be three Tupac songs performed at the induction ceremony with “California Love” definitely on the set list according to the report.
Snoop Dogg is reportedly planning to bring several West Coast rappers onstage for the Tupac induction ceremony to perform a medley. There is still no word on who Snoop might be bringing with him but it is believed he might be looking to Ice Cube, Kendrick Lamar, and maybe even Warren G on board.
Prior to Tupac Shakur’s untimely death in 1996, he and Snoop Dogg were label mates at Death Row Records along with Dr. Dre. It might be a good thing that Death Row Records founder Suge Knight is currently jailed and dealing with murder and attempted murder charges related to a hit and run incident during the filming of Straight Outta Compton or this Death Row Records reunion might not be as happy of a moment.
With less than two weeks until the 2017 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame ceremony, there are still very few details on exactly how Snoop Dogg and whoever else joins him will honor Tupac Shakur. “California Love” is definitely on the table but the two other songs to be performed are still anyone’s guess. Some suggestions, in case they just can’t decide, would be “Dear Mama,” which just made headlines when the handwritten lyrics for the iconic song were put up for auction. “Keep Ya Head Up” which has become an anthem for pretty much everyone going through hard times, has also been suggested.
Tupac Shakur was just 25-years-old when he was shot to death on September 7, 1996. Tupac was leaving the MGM Grand with Suge Knight after watching the Bruce Seldon vs. Mike Tyson boxing match when he was gunned down inside the car he was riding in. Tupac later died at the hospital after doctors failed to stop internal bleeding from the bullet wounds.
After his death, Tupac was still putting out albums and reportedly had a plethora of unreleased music. In 2007, it was reported that the late rapper had sold 75 million albums. There are no reported figures to update but it can be assumed that number has grown, making Tupac one of the best-selling rappers of all time, dead or alive.
Just a few months back, it was reported that the 2017 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductees would include Tupac Shakur, Pearl Jam, Joan Baez, Journey, Yes, and the Electric Light Orchestra. Tupac Shakur will be the sixth hip-hop artist to make it to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Many probably still recall last year’s ceremony when NWA was inducted despite quite a bit of criticism from KISS singer Gene Simmons. Other hip hop artists to have been inducted are Run-DMC, the Beastie Boys, Public Enemy and Grandmaster Flash.
The ceremony will be held on April 7 at the Barclay’s Center in Los Angeles. Afterward, the 2017 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame ceremony will be replayed on HBO for those who want to watch it.
[Featured Image by Frank Wiese/AP Images]