Preserving Hip Hop Culture in Atlanta, GA
Explore original artifacts acquired from the studio of DJ Web, one of Atlanta's first party rockers. Hear him tell his story about the city's early hip hop scene. Acquired by Four Four Beat Labs, the collection is in the care of Georgia Tech's HipHop2020 Innovation Archive.
Michael Webster (2013-02-13/2013-02-13) by Michael WebsterHipHop2020 Innovation Archive
"It started with me in the 9th grade..."
On March 15-16, 2013, an acquisition team that included hip hop scholars, archivists, technologists, DJs, and photographers met at the home of Michael Webster, a pioneering DJ of Atlanta's burgeoning Hip Hop scene in the early '80s and '90s.
Led by Hip Hop and Media Studies scholar Dr. Joycelyn Wilson, the team's goal was to acquire, preserve, and begin restoring Webster's Hip Hop-inspired artifacts using new media technologies that offer an interactive, educational experience through the curation of his collection.
The Michael Webster Collection was placed in the care of the Four Four Beat Labs' HipHop2020 Innovation Archive, which at the time was in the School of Education at Virginia Tech. It is currently located in the School of LMC in the Ivan Allen College at Georgia Tech.
More Look of the Extensive Collection (2013-02-13/2013-02-13)HipHop2020 Innovation Archive
The Room
Upon arrival, the team was led to a basement full of vinyl records, autographs, and street promo - many of which had been sitting for several years. Flyers and posters remained tacked to the walls and doors as Webster had left them.
Michael Webster Acquisition PhotosHipHop2020 Innovation Archive
Stacks on stacks on stacks!
Mountains of records were stacked along the walls and across the carpet. Some were stuck together under the weight of humidity, mold, and mildew brought on by area water damage. However, Webster had left the room relatively the same.
Michael Webster Archive Albums (2013-02-13/2013-02-13) by Michael WebsterHipHop2020 Innovation Archive
The Sequence!
Many records remained in alphabetical order inside the wood shelving built decades before by Webster.
Michael Webster Acquisition PhotosHipHop2020 Innovation Archive
"I was filling a void that I was not aware I was filling..."
DJ Web wasn't the typical teenager who worked entry-level jobs. He stayed busy as a working party-rocker and mixtape-maker at 14 while attending Benjamin Mays High School in Atlanta, Georgia. After graduating, he got a job at the famous Peppermint Records in Greenbriar Mall.
We noticed sitting on a stack of records a set of business cards for Dynamic Sounds, the company he started with his high school friend, Chris Huggins. Webster referred to himself as a "Musical Technician". No area codes!
"I was booked!"
Watch here for more about his journey into Hip Hop and his organic come-up as a local celebrity DJ.
"It Was Just Us!"
As a budding DJ in the early years of Atlanta's hip hop scene, Webster had many opportunities to meet artists of the era including Grandmaster Flash, Roxanne Shante', The Fat Boys, Whodini, Kurtis Blow, and Prince protege and drummer Sheila E. Take a listen here.
"Just Say NO" Concert Against Drug Abuse ft Roxanne Shante - Autograph (The Golden Era) by Michael Webster CollectionHipHop2020 Innovation Archive
"To Michael...'": From Roxanne Shante
Known for her hip hop feminism, Roxanne Shante' released her first rap song "Roxanne's Revenge" in 1984 at 14 years old, which opened doors for women in the rap game. Two years later she performed at the Atlanta Civic Center for a "Just Say No" concert/contest against drug abuse.
Original Autograph Paper Plate from Grandmaster Flash by Michael Webster CollectionHipHop2020 Innovation Archive
"Keep on Rockin...": Grandmaster Flash
Hard-pressed to find a piece of paper, DJ Web opted for a paper plate to get Grandmaster Flash's autograph during his visit to Atlanta's Peppermint Records. Sprinkled with mold spots, the plate maintained its authenticity as it hung on the closet door in Webster's basement.
Michael Webster Acquisition PhotosHipHop2020 Innovation Archive
DJ Toomp, Atlanta's Trap Music Architect
Webster's studio ultimately became an after-school hangout spot for many of Atlanta's youth. To enter, he required everyone to tag this cardboard wall with their names and aliases.
A young DJ Toomp visited Webster's studio often. Toomp went on to become a sought-after DJ and producer for early ATL rappers Raheem the Dream and MC Shy-D. He is also the creator of the early trap music sound, and a multi-platinum producer for TI, Jeezy, Jay-Z, and Kanye West.
Interview Crew (2013-02-13/2013-02-13)HipHop2020 Innovation Archive
To experience more of the Michael Webster Collection...
See our story "Michael Webster's Vinyl Collection", which includes some of the classic albums and singles included in the collection.
Current and former partners:
Digital Integrative Liberal Arts Center (DILAC), School of Literature, Media, and Communication, Ivan Allen College, Georgia Tech
Institute for Creativity, Arts, and Technology (ICAT), Virginia Tech
School of Education, College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences, Virginia Tech
Acquisition Team:
Michael and Simone Webster
Purdom Lindblad, Asst. Dir. of Innovation and Learning, Maryland Institute of Technology in the Humanities
Scott Pennington, Partnership Projects Manager, US National Archives and Records Administration
Gardner Campbell, Assoc. Prof. of English, Virginia Commonwealth University
Jayson Reid, DJ Jaycee, HipHop2020 Fellow, 2013-2014
Acquisition captured by:
Ahmad Barber, Shannon McCollum, Shawn Badgett, Scott Auerbach
HipHop2020 Innovation Archive VIP Team:
Joycelyn Wilson, PI
Brad Rittenhouse, Co-PI
Blaire Bosley
Sukanya Harris
Mekayla Martin
Madison Lovelace
Jenna Haines
Pranay Rapolu
Stephanie Yao
Joseph Guo
Brendan Cecere
Ahmad Barber
You are all set!
Your first Culture Weekly will arrive this week.