THE LATE US rapper Tupac Shakur and singing icon are among 19 musicians nominated on Tuesday (Oct 18) for induction in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
Tupac was killed at age 25 in an unsolved 1996 drive-by shooting in Las Vegas.
The Harlem-born rapper, who addressed social inequity and the struggles of African Americans, is regarded as one of the most influential voices in hip-hop, whose story has inspired documentaries, movies and a Broadway Musical.
His nomination reflects the growing acceptance of rap as a force in mainstream music and follows the Hall of Fame induction in 2016 of the California rappers NWA as only the fifth hip-hop act ever to be voted in.
Artists must have released their first recording at least 25 years ago to be eligible for nomination. The names of the 2017 inductees will be announced in December once voting is complete.
Jackson, 50, the youngest child of the Jackson singing family, is one of the best-known pop singers in the world but is still waiting to be inducted after first becoming eligible for the Hall of Fame in 2007.
Having sold over 100 million records, she is ranked as one of the best-selling artists in the history of contemporary music. She has amassed an extensive catalog, with singles such as Nasty, Rhythm Nation and That's the Way Love Goes among her signature songs.
She holds the record for the most consecutive top 10 hits on the US Billboard Hot 100 singles chart by a female artist with 18.
As of 2007, Tupac has sold over 75 million records worldwide. His double disc albums All Eyez on Me and his Greatest Hits are among the best selling albums in the United States.
He has been listed and ranked as one of the greatest artists of all time by many magazines, including Rolling Stone which ranked him 86th on its list of The 100 Greatest Artists of All Time.
The inductees are chosen by fans and by an international body of some 800 artists, historians and members of the music industry who are asked to consider musical influence, innovation, and length and depth of career.