Snoop Dogg, Sade Adu, and Teddy Riley have been announced as inductees of the Songwriters Hall of Fame Class of 2023. Gloria Estefan, Jeff Lynne, Glenn Ballard, and Jeff Lynne will also be inducted at this year’s ceremony.
Legendary musician, producer, and SHOF Chairman Nile Rogers lauded the class of 2023 in an official statement.
"The music industry does not exist without songwriters delivering great songs first. Without them there is no recorded music, no concert business, no merch . . . nothing, it all starts with the song and the songwriter," Rodgers said. "We are therefore very proud that we are continually recognizing some of the culturally most important songwriters of all time and that the 2023 slate represents not just iconic songs but also diversity and unity across genres, ethnicity, and gender, songwriters who have enriched our lives and, in their time, literally transformed music and the lives of billions of listeners all over the world."
A trailblazer of West Coast Hip Hop, Snoop Dogg remains one of the most recognizable personalities in pop culture. With classic songs such as "What's My Name?" “Gin and Juice" “Beautiful” and “Drop It’s Like It’s Hot,” Snoop has earned 14 top ten singles on the Billboard Hot 100 in his career. He will join JAY-Z and Missy Elliot, who were inducted in 2017 and 2019 respectively.
One of the most highly regarded singer/songwriters of her era, Sade Adu has made an indelible mark on music as the lead singer of her eponymous band. Combining R&B, soul, jazz, quiet storm, and pop, Sade burst onto the music landscape with her debut album Diamond Life in 1984 and began her ascent to superstardom. Her hit songs include "Your Love Is King," "Smooth Operator," “The Sweetest Taboo,” “Paradise,” and “No Ordinary Love.”
An acclaimed producer and songwriter, Teddy Riley is credited with creating “New Jack Swing” which melds elements of R&B, Hip Hop, funk, and gospel. In 1984, he produced the rap classic “The Show” by Doug E. Fresh and Slick Rick at 17 years old. He founded Guy, Wrecks-N-Effect, and Blackstreet, guiding each group to chart success. He went on to craft hits for Michael Jackson, executive producing his Dangerous album, Bobby Brown, Keith Sweat, SWV, Heavy D & the Boyz, and many more.
Since its inception in 1969, the Songwriters Hall of Fame's mission is to honor artists who have greatly impacted popular culture with their music. To qualify for induction, a songwriter with an expansive discography becomes eligible for consideration 20 years after the commercial release of their first song.
Past inductees include Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, the Isley Brothers, Mariah Carey, Jermaine Dupri, and Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis.
