Entertainment Music LL Cool J Performs with Jennifer Lopez and Eminem at His Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction The "Mama Said Knock You Out" artist received The Musical Excellence Award from Dr. Dre during the ceremony By Nicholas Rice Nicholas Rice Instagram Twitter Nicholas Rice is an Associate Editor for PEOPLE Magazine. He began working with the brand as an Editorial Intern in early 2020, before later transitioning to a freelance role, and then staff positions soon after. Nicholas writes and edits anywhere between 7 to 9 stories per day on average for PEOPLE, spanning across each vertical the brand covers. Nicholas has previous work experience with Billboard, POPSUGAR, Bustle and Elite Daily. When not working, Nicholas can be found playing with his 5 dogs, listening to pop music or eating mozzarella sticks. People Editorial Guidelines Published on October 31, 2021 10:30 AM Share Tweet Pin Email LL Cool J brought down the house during the 2021 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction ceremony with his famous friends. On Saturday evening, the 53-year-old rapper and actor celebrated his induction with a powerhouse medley that spanned his illustrious career and also featured surprise appearances from Jennifer Lopez and Eminem. After performing solo tracks such as "Go Cut Creator Go" and "Going Back to Cali," Eminem, 49, then walked onstage and joined LL Cool J in a rap battle-like performance of the NCIS: Los Angeles star's song, "Rock the Bells." Then, LL Cool J performed his track "I'm Bad," before Lopez, 52, took to the stage to sing her No. 1 single with the artist, "All I Have." There, Lopez, who recently announced her partnership with Bodyarmor SuperDrink, wore Dolce & Gabbana, which she paired with her own JLo Jennifer Lopez shoes and an AZ Factory coat. Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Michael Loccisano/Getty The set came to a close when the inductee gave a powerful performance of his 1991 smash tune, "Mama Said Knock You Out." LL Cool J later received The Musical Excellence Award from Dr. Dre during the ceremony, which took place at Cleveland's Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse arena. Kevin Mazur/Getty LL Cool J's induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame came about over the weekend after the star had been nominated six previous times in years past. Taylor Swift Performs Tribute to Carole King at Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Speaking with Rolling Stone after the news that he would be inducted into the prestigious group of fellow musicians, LL Cool J said the honor was both "humbling" and "inspiring." "It makes me want to get in the studio and give something back for this recognition. In a weird kind of way, it makes me want to pay it forward by creating something special for people and outdo myself in a way, creatively," the rapper explained. "That's what it does. It makes me want to give the world a new music project." The artist also told the publication that getting into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame was never on his radar when he first began his music career. "I was thinking about getting a pair of Pumas, a gold chain, and writing my rhymes in my composition notebook," he said. "And just going to the block party and just being the best rapper I could be, the best MC I could be, and just going through that process. I didn't know about these things." RELATED VIDEO: Dr. Dre, Eminem, Mary J. Blige, Kendrick Lamar and Snoop Dogg to Headline 2022 Super Bowl Halftime Show The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame first announced this year's class of inductees in May, calling the honorees "the most diverse list of Inductees in the history of the organization." Alongside LL Cool J, the class of 2021 also included Tina Turner, JAY-Z, Foo Fighters, The Go-Go's and Todd Rundgren. The Musical Excellence Award went to LL Cool J, Billy Preston and Randy Rhodes, while Kraftwerk, Gil Scott Heron and Charley Patton received the Early Influence Award. Clarence Avant also received the Ahmet Ertegun Award, which is given to a "non-performing industry professional" who has had "a major influence on the creative development and growth of rock & roll and music that has impacted youth culture." An induction ceremony special is set to air on Nov. 20 and will be available to watch on HBO and HBO Max.