The CEO of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has likened Eminem’s music to metal songs after the rapper was included on the list of inductees for 2022.

Eminem is one of eight artists set to be inducted into the institution later this year, alongside Dolly Parton, Duran Duran, Lionel Richie, Eurythmics, Carly Simon, Judas Priest, and Pat Benatar.

During a recent interview with Audacy, CEO Greg Harris commented on the rapper’s inclusion in the class of 2022 and hip-hop’s place in the Rock Hall. “For a lot of years, people asked about hip-hop,” he said. “He’s the 10th artist to be sort of categorised that way.

But if you listen to his music, it’s as hard-hitting and straight-ahead as any metal song. It’s right there. It’s a chest punch with a message and with power and with rhythm and with a band. We’re thrilled he’s going in [his] first year of eligibility. It’s a big statement.

Other artists who made the initial shortlist for 2022 but didn’t make the final cut include Kate Bush, Beck, DEVO, Fela Kuti, MC5, New York Dolls, Rage Against The Machine, and Dionne Warwick. The artists were voted on by more than 1,000 artists, historians, and music industry professionals.

The class of 2022 will be inducted at an in-person ceremony, which is set to take place on November 5 at Los Angeles’ Microsoft Theater.

The run-up to the Rock Hall results was filled with drama as Parton initially refused the honour, saying that she didn’t feel that she had “earned the right” to be included. However, she later said she would accept the induction should she receive the votes after learning the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame isn’t solely for artists making rock music.

“I felt like I would be taking away from someone that maybe deserved it, certainly more than me since I never considered myself a rock artist,” she said. “But obviously, there’s more to it than that.”

Last year saw Tina Turner, Carole King, The Go-Gos, Jay-Z, Foo Fighters, Todd Rundgren and more inducted into the institution.