LOS ANGELES (AP) 鈥� The Grammy Museum announced Thursday that it is launching the 鈥淗ip-Hop America: The Mixtape Exhibit鈥�, celebrating 鈥檚 global impact.
The 5,000 square foot exhibit will include rare artifacts such as Tupac Shakur鈥檚 handwritten 1992 essay 鈥淕ive Me Liberty or Give Me Death鈥� 鈥� in which the young hip-hop superstar found parallels between one of the best-known speeches in American history, a cry for freedom given by founding father Patrick Henry at the Second Virginia Convention, and the experiences of being a minority in the U.S.
The exhibit also includes Notorious B.I.G.鈥檚 red leather pea jacket, worn in the music video for Junior M.A.F.I.A.鈥檚 鈥淧layers Anthem,鈥� and LL Cool J鈥檚 red Kangol bucket hat.
鈥淗ip-Hop America鈥� goes beyond simple chronology: visitors will explore the music, choreography, fashion, business, activism, car culture, and the history of hip-hop by navigating displays dedicated to regional music scenes, technological advancements, formative like 鈥淵o! MTV Raps" and beyond.
It will open Oct. 7 and run until September 4, 2024.
Two outfits designed by hip-hop can be found on display: the black leather jacket Melle Mel wore during a performance at the 1985 Grammy Awards and Busy Bee's characteristic black-and-yellow leather bucket hat and jacket.
鈥淗ip-Hop America: The Mixtape Exhibit鈥� will also feature an interactive 鈥淪onic Playground,鈥� which will allow visitors to experiment with DJing, sampling, and rapping.
鈥淭he exhibit has been carefully curated to reach everyone from hip-hop connoisseurs to uninitiated novices," says co-curator Jason King, dean of the University of Southern California's Thornton School of Music. "And we鈥檝e thrown in a few left curve surprises like sections on hip-hop sonics and car speakers, and on the connections between hip-hop and partner genres like R&B."
He told The Associated Press: 鈥淗ip-Hop America is an intriguing look at a thunderous form of 鈥榗an鈥檛 stop won鈥檛 stop鈥� culture that has continued to shift and push the envelope of innovation for the past 50 years.鈥�
Maria Sherman, The Associated Press
