Hip-Hop @ NMAAHC
Explore hip-hop history through objects from the collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture.
Collecting Hip-Hop
The Museum's Hip-Hop Collection holds more than 300 objects from the 1970s to the 2000s and includes clothing, jewelry, photographs, manuscripts, albums, cassettes, CDs, poetry journals, handwritten lyrics and notes, flyers, and much more.
The Museum collects and displays diverse historical materials that demonstrate hip-hop’s musical reach and its intersections within the Museum’s political, social, cultural, and historical narratives. Take a journey across the country as we explore hip-hop through the stories these objects tell.
Kurtis Blow's Black and Red Leather Jacket
Kurtis Blow was one of the first commercially successful rappers. His 1980 single “The Breaks” went gold and remains one of hip-hop’s most iconic songs. Blow was also one of the first object donors to the Museum's hip-hop collection.
In 2010 he presented the Museum with this black and red leather jacket that he wore on the cover of his 1981 album, Deuce.
Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Kurtis Walker PKA Kurtis Blow
DJ Kool Herc with Sound System at T-Connection
In the early 1970s, Kool Herc, aka Jamaican-born Clive Campbell, played records at New York parties, laying a foundation for what would become hip-hop. His creativity and attention to the crowd's energy became the blueprint for hip-hop DJs and revolutionized musical culture.
This Polaroid print shows DJ Kool Herc in 1980 at the Bronx club T-Connection with parts of the sound system he used during the 1970s and early 1980s.
Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture
Pink Satin "J.J. Fad in Effect" Jacket
This custom jacket is from the pioneering hip-hop group J. J. Fad, one of the first acts signed to Eazy-E’s Ruthless Records. The original lineup included Dania Birks (Baby D), Juana Burns (MC J.B.), Anna Cash (Lady Anna), Fatima Shaheed (O.G. Rocker), and Juanita Lee (Crazy J).
In 1987, they released "Anotha Ho," which included "Supersonic" as the B-side. All but Baby D and MC J.B. soon left the group and were replaced by Michelle Franklin (Sassy C) and D.J. Train. The new lineup re-recorded "Supersonic" in 1988 and released it as an A-side. This jacket made at the Slauson Swap Meet in Compton showcases J.J. Fad’s early time in the spotlight and their L.A. connection.
Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture
Concert Poster Featuring Goodie Mob, Outkast and K. Sharock
Goodie Mob is an Atlanta-based group founded in 1991 by CeeLo Green, Willie “Khujo” Knighton, Jr., Robert “T-Mo” Barnett, and Cameron “Big Gipp” Gipp. Their 1995 debut album Soul Food, recorded for Atlanta record label LaFace records, was an early southern hip-hop classic.
This poster advertises a 1995 concert in Charlotte, NC, featuring Goodie Mob, Outkast, and K. Sharock, a Charlotte-based group. The concert’s location reflects the reach of Atlanta hip-hop around the broader Southeast in the 1990s.
Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture
J Dilla's MIDI Production Center 3000 Limited Edition
Producer and MC James Dewitt Yancey, aka J Dilla, grew up in Detroit where he learned to play cello, keyboards, trumpet, violin, and drums. Yancey's musical training influenced his later use of equipment such as this Akai MPC and the Minimoog synthesizer.
Yancey used these technologies to create soulful samples that featured innovative percussive loops and future-sounding synth tones to develop a unique style that became a signature for the Native Tongues and the soul, R&B, and hip-hop movements of the 1990s and early 2000s. Revered by fans and critics, Dilla's legacy continues to be celebrated throughout the world.
Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Maureen Yancy
The Story Continues
Visit the Searchable Museum to explore Hip-Hop Origins and discover never-before shared objects featured in the Museum's collection and exhibitions!
Celebrate 50 Years of Hip-Hop
This year honors 50 Years of hip-hop artistry, innovation and global transcendence — recognizing the culture and music that has been originated and shaped by Black America.
