Janet Jackson thanks son during her Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction speech

Janet Jackson has finally gotten a spot in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame after twice appearing on the ballot.

Janet Jackson Rock and Roll Hall of Fame thegrio.com
Inductee, Janet Jackson speaks onstage during the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame Induction Ceremony show at New York's Barclays Center on March 29, 2019 (Photo by Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images For The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame)

After over three decades of dazzling us with her incredible dancing and catchy tunes, Janet Jackson has finally gotten a spot in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame after twice appearing on the ballot reports PEOPLE.

During her induction speech at New York City’s Barclays Center, Jackson gave a shoutout to her famous family, including one of its newest members, her 2-year-old son, Eissa, who she welcomed in 2017 with now estranged husband Wissam Al Mana.

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“I just want to thank my baby, my beautiful son,” Jackson told the crowd Friday. “He wakes me up every single morning singing his own melodies. I want you to know that you are my heart, you are my life, and you have shown me the meaning of real, unconditional love. Mama loves you, Eissa.”

After honoring her son, Jackson also gave praise to her late father, Joe Jackson, who had become a controversial figure in the music industry after allegations of abuse from several of her siblings.

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“When I was a kid, my dream wasn’t to be a singer. I wanted to go to college and I wanted to be a lawyer. It was my father’s dream,” she said of her father who died in June of last year. “He wanted me to become this wonderful performer, he encouraged me. He was the first to encourage me and music became my passion.”

Jackson also acknowledged looking up to her brothers, who have already been inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. The Jackson 5 were inducted in 1997 and brother Michael was inducted as a solo artist in 2001.

“I witnessed. my family’s extraordinary impact on popular culture,” she said. “As the youngest in my family, I was determined to make it on my own. But never in a million years did I expect to follow in their footsteps. Tonight, your baby sister has made it.”

Jackson, who helped change the music industry in the ’80s and ’90s, recently announced her Las Vegas residency. The superstar is the only artist who can claim No. 1 singles in the ’80s, ’90s and 2000s. People noted that on the backs of albums like “Control” and “Rhythm Nation,” she’s sold more than 160 million records worldwide. Artist and actress Janelle Monáe, who presented Jackson with her award, rightfully called the legendary artist the “Queen of Black girl magic.”

Jackson closed her speech with a call on the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame to “please [in] 2020 induct more women.”

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