Jay Z became the first rapper to be nominated to the Songwriters Hall of Fame this weekend, when he was named as a potential 2017 candidate alongside Madonna, Bryan Adams, George Michael, Gloria Estefan, Cat Stevens, Sylvester “Sly Stone” Stewart, Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds, and Max Martin, Nigel Smith reports for the Guardian. That’s some serious competition in the pop hitmaker department, considering Max Martin alone has written 21 No.1 singles, but Jay Z’s chances aren’t too shabby given his insane output over a twenty-year career.