Hip-hop is about to invade one of America’s most traditional institutions: the Smithsonian.
The National Museum of American History plans to explore hip-hop in the United States with a collection entitled “The Hop Won’t Stop: The Beat, the Rhymes, the Life.” Supported by museum curators, the collection was first funded by Universal Records and has since seen support from a myriad of artists, some volunteering cash, others memorabilia.
Hip-hop legend Russell Simmons was quoted in a New York Times article as praising the addition. Expressing his fear that new hip-hop artists were losing connection with their art’s roots, Simmons called hip-hop “the only real description of the suffering of our people.”
The collection will feature memorabilia ranging from leather jackets to lyrics drafts and is expected to open in 2006.
