Black History Month with Universal Hip Hop Museum: 1980s Artifacts

One of Salt-N-Pepa's first limousine receipts to a performance.

Eric B, of Eric B and Hakim, and KRS 1 behind stage.

Beat Street is one of the earliest Hip Hop culture movies and follows four young kids in the South Bronx and their journey to making it on television.

Grand Mixer DXT, a DJ largely considered the father of turntablism, & artist Keith Haring pose for a photo together.

Flyer for KRS One, Hip Hop pioneer & Rev. Jesse Jackson, one of the first African Americans to run for a presidential nominee, appearances at a march and rally on the issue of homelessness. The event was produced by the Hip Hop group, Boogie Down Productions.

Flyer for party with sign up sheet for performers (left) and sign in sheet from day of performance (right).

Invitation for Whodini's album release party by Rush Productions.

Concert flyer for RUN D.M.C., Afrika Islam, Ice T, Shake City Rockers and others at Stardust Ballroom.

Roxanne Shanté & Biz Markie record from Pop Art Records label in Philadelphia, recorded in 1985.

Memo written on the back of a cassette tape cover for a recording of Mr. Magic's radio show, recorded in 1984.

Ticket for a joint concert performance with multiple acts at the Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles in 1985.

Cassette tape hand written on by Frosty Freeze of the Zulu Nation.

This collaborative event between Def Jam, Rush Productions and WBLS 107.5 at the Apollo was a significant marker of Hip Hop's growing influence in New York City.

Poster of Funky 4+1 with dedication message to Pete Nice. Poster was originally hung in MC Sha-Rock's room.

Front (left) Back (right)

Invitation for Kurtis Blow's album release party by Rush Productions.

Grand Master Dee, the DJ from the pioneering Hip Hop group Whodini, and Bobby Brown, R&B/Soul legend, pose with a fan at a party.

A poster for RUN D.M.C.'s performance at the Celebrity Club, New York City.

Founded in 1982, the Roxy ruled downtown Manhattan. Acts such as, Michael Jackson, Afrika Bambaataa, DJ Jazzy Jeff and LL Cool J performed here.

The Roxy was located in downtown Manhattan. This is a contract for Masterdon (a.k.a William Martin) for a $500 show fee in 1983.

Acrylic on canvas painting replica of a photo taken of Dota Rock in front of 80s party posters, many of which he performed at created by Charlie Ahearn.

Flyer and ticket for The Swatch Watch New York City Fresh Festival featuring a few breakdancing acts. The Fresh Festival brought Hip Hop to arenas nationwide in 1984.

LL Cool J poses with American professional boxer, Michael Gerard Tyson (Left), better known as Mike Tyson.

The legendary DJ Kool Herc aka Clive Campbell (Right), poses with legendary MC Tony Tone of the Cold Crush Brothers.

An American artist and activist whose graffiti-like art influenced the art scene during the 1980s, Keith Allen Haring (Left), poses for a picture with Jason William Mizzel (Right), AKA Jam Master Jay. As the DJ of the Hip Hop group Run-D.M.C, Jam Master Jay fromed part of one of the biggest hip hop groups to influence breaking in the Hip Hop scenery of the 1980s.

Formed in 1978, the Cold Crush Brothers are a Hip Hop group whose stage-stomping performances, melodies and style influenced the Hip Hop scenery of the 1980s.

In this NYC Fresh Fest announcement, the Fat Boys make the front poster. The Brooklyn native Hip Hop group is most known for their beatboxing elements. The NYC Fresh Fest brought Hip Hop to arenas worldwide during the 80s.

The Bronx native Hip Hop group, Ultramagnetic MCs was founded in 1984 by Kool Keith (Bottom). The group included Ced Gee (far right), and Moe Love (far left). The group of emcees took over clubs during the late 80s.

Kid N' Play (far left and far right), Paradise Gray, a current curator for the Universal Hip Hop Museum, hip hop legend, artist, writer, and producer (bottom), and Chris Rock (center), pose together. Kid N' Play is a Hip Hop duo composed by Christopher Reid and Christopher Martin.