Wu-Tang Clan And Lauryn Hill Nominated For The Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame

Wu-Tang Clan and Lauryn Hill have been nominated for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

The Staten Island rap group and Fugees member are part of the Class of 2026 nominees, which also includes Mariah Carey, Sade, New Edition, Luther Vandross, and Phil Collins.

Additional nominees consist of Oasis, Jeff Buckley, Iron Maiden, Pink, Joy Division/New Order, Billy Idol, Shakira, The Black Crowes, INXS, and Melissa Etheridge, representing a wide range of genres, including rock, hip-hop, heavy metal, soul, R&B, pop, and new wave.

Both Wu-Tang Clan and Lauryn Hill are first-time nominees, despite their eligibility period of over 25 years since they released their initial commercial recordings (Enter the Wu-Tang [36 Chambers] in 1993 and The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill in 1998, respectively).

If selected, Wu-Tang Clan would become the ninth hip-hop act inducted into the Rock Hall, while Lauryn Hill would be the third female rap act, joining Missy Elliott and Salt-N-Pepa.

To date, 15 hip-hop acts have been honored in the Hall of Fame, including JAY-Z, Eminem, 2Pac, Biggie, OutKast, A Tribe Called Quest, Run-DMC, LL Cool J, and Public Enemy.

The 2026 inductees will be chosen by an international panel of more than 1,200 artists, historians, and music industry professionals. The final Class of 2026 will be announced in April, followed by an induction ceremony in the fall.

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For Wu-Tang Clan, this nomination comes after the passing of one of its key members, Oliver “Power” Grant.

Grant, who founded the successful streetwear brand Wu Wear and helped establish the group as a significant cultural influence, died at the age of 52 on February 24.

His passing was acknowledged by various Wu-Tang members and the broader hip-hop community. Method Man shared his feelings on Instagram, stating, “Paradise my Brother safe Travels!! I am not ok.”

RZA expressed his sorrow with a black square on Instagram, accompanied by Boyz II Men’s “It’s So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday” and a simple caption referencing the Five-Percent Nation’s Supreme mathematics that inspired Power’s nickname.

Additional tributes came from Raekwon, Cam’ron, and DJ Premier, among others.