Jay Z the first rapper named to Songwriters Hall of Fame

Hip- hop icon Jay Z is the first rapper chosen for the Songwriters Hall of Fame, heading a class of inductees that also features Motown Records founder Berry Gordy and R& B crooner Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds, the group said Wednesday.

The 47- year- old Jay Z, who has sold more than 100 million records in his career since his debut Reasonable Doubt in 1996, is a 21- time Grammy winner – and the husband of pop diva Beyonce.

He will be inducted into the Hall on June 15 in New York along with Gordy, Edmonds and three members of the band Chicago – Robert Lamm, James Pankow and Peter Cetera.

Other inductees include hit- maker Max Martin, who has written songs for groups from the Backstreet Boys to Katy Perry and The Weeknd.