Hip-Hop Won’t Stop: The Beat, The Rhymes, The Life

 A major initiative to gather a broad collection about hip-hop culture and develop a comprehensive exhibition is now underway at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History

The museum’s multi-year project will trace hip-hop from its origins in the 1970s to its status today. By collecting from the hip-hop community, the museum will build an unprecedented permanent collection that will document the undeniable reach of hip-hop and commemorate it as one of the most influential cultural explosions in recent history.

Through “Hip-Hop Won’t Stop,” the museum will collect objects from all aspects of hip-hop arts and culture—music, technology, sports, graffiti, fashion, break dancing and language—including vinyl records, handwritten lyrics, boom boxes, clothing and costumes, videos and interviews, disc jockey equipment and microphones, personal and business correspondence, and posters and photos. 

An advisory panel, made up of artists, producers, scholars and others will assist in defining and refining the project. The museum also will host a number of public programs and scholarly symposia to further explore the content.

The Museum is seeking financial support from individual donors, corporations and associations to fund the project and related activities.

In addition to the permanent collection at the Smithsonian, the long-range vision for “Hip-Hop Won’t Stop” includes a comprehensive exhibition open to millions of museum visitors on the National Mall, a companion traveling display, and a Web site geared towards a global audience.

For More Information:

www.americanhistory.si.edu/hip-hop

www.myspace.com/americanhistoryhiphop

email hiphop@si.edu

telephone 202-633-3613