In celebration of hip-hop’s 50th anniversary, the Grammy Museum has unveiled an interactive exhibit dedicated to the genre titled, Hip Hop America: The Exhibit. This experience showcases the history and impact of hip-hop, such as The Notorious B.I.G., Tupac Shakur, and LL Cool J.
Inside Hip Hop America: The Exhibit
In celebration of the 50th anniversary of hip-hop, the Grammy Museum has unveiled an interactive hip-hop exhibit 5,000 square foot exhibit dedicated to the hip-hop genre. Hip Hop America: The Exhibit pays homage to the genre’s history and features artifacts from influential artists.
The exhibit will honor the genre’s history, through artifacts from notable artists like The Notorious B.I.G., Tupac Shakur, and LL Cool J, to name a few.
Members Behind The Musical Magic
The museum’s curating team consists of four individuals with a deep knowledge of hip-hop, academic rigor, and creativity. Among the curators is Felicia Angeja Viator, an associate professor of history at San Francisco State University and author of To Live And Defy In LA: How Gangsta Rap Changed America.
Adam Bradley, Professor of English at UCLA and co-editor of The Anthology of Rap, is also a curator. Jason King, Dean of USC Thornton School of Music and former chair of the Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music at NYU, is part of the team.
Completing the quartet is Dan Charnas, Associate Arts Professor at NYU Clive Davis Institute of Music and author of Dilla Time: The Life And Afterlife Of The Hip-Hop Producer Who Reinvented Rhythm. They collaborated with a 20-member advisory board and Jasen Emmons, the Grammy Museum Chief Curator and Vice President of Curatorial Affairs.
Concepts The Museum Aims To Address
The exhibit aims to educate visitors on various key themes of hip-hop, including its origins, innovation, sounds, fashion, regionalism, entrepreneurialism, media, and community. It features notable items such as fashions by Dapper Dan, Kurtis Blow’s original handwritten lyrics for “These Are The Breaks,” Rev. Run’s black suede fedora and Adidas Superstars, and LL Cool J’s red Kangol bucket hat.
The Hip Hop America: The Exhibit is set to premiere on October 7, and will run until September 4, 2024.
Recording Academy Celebrates 50 Years of Hip-Hop
In a separate event during Grammy season, the Recording Academy’s Black Music Collective honored Lil Wayne, Dr. Dre, and Missy Elliott for their musical contributions in February 2023. The ceremony included special performances dedicated to these icons.
Spotify Celebrates Hip Hop’s 50th
On a related note, music streaming service Spotify also commemorated hip-hop’s 50th anniversary by creating a dedicated segment on its website called “For The Record.” This segment educates and entertains listeners by showcasing the history and evolution of hip-hop.