Jay Z the first rapper to be inducted in Songwriters Hall of Fame

New York - 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 on 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 Beyoncé.

"Also a powerful entrepreneur across the music/entertainment, fashion and sports industries, Jay Z personifies the American Dream," the Songwriters Hall of Fame said in a statement announcing the class of 2017.

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

Other inductees include songwriting-production duo Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis - best known for their work with Janet Jackson - and hit-maker Max Martin, who has written songs for groups from the Backstreet Boys to Katy Perry and The Weeknd.