Jay Z could make musical history as the first rapper to be inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame after being nominated Thursday.<br />Candidates are eligible after 20 years of writing music.<br />This is the first year of eligibility for Jay Z, who issued his debut album Reasonable Doubt in 1996.<br />Since then, he's racked up writing credits under his birth name of Shawn Carter on hits including Hard Knock Life, Empire State of Mind and '03 Bonnie & Clyde, his duet with Beyoncé.
