The most famous museum in America took a monumental step in legitimizing Hip Hop in mainstream academia. The Smithsonian institution plans to host a block party celebrating Hip Hop and Rap. The party celebrates the one-year anniversary of the institution’s Hip Hop anthology. The party is free to attend, but tickets are required. It will undoubtedly be a worthwhile event for hip-hop fans in the Washington D.C. metro area.
The Details
The event headliner is rapper D. Smoke. Other rappers and DJs are set to entertain throughout the day. Radio host Vic Jagger emcees the party. The block party will feature many other local and national artists performing tracks in celebration. The party certainly promises to entertain those in attendance.
The event honors the one-year anniversary of the Smithsonian’s release of an anthology album. The nine-disc set recounts hip hop’s history and cultural impact through its tracklist. Numerous artists feature on the album, including Kurtis Blow, Run DMC, Beastie Boys, Nas, Tupac, Kanye West, and Drake. However, this is nowhere near the complete list of featured artists.
The Significance of the Smithsonian
The Smithsonian Institute began life as a dream of one eccentric English chemist named John Smithson. Smithson had no immediate family to bequeath his wealth to. So, upon his death, his will stated that his fortune would be given to the creation of a museum in Washington DC. Over the years, this museum grew into the most recognizable museum on the planet. The Smithsonian’s recent treatment of hip hop legitimizes the once neglected art form. It will be hard for people to dismiss it after such a prestigious museum celebrates it openly as a cultural force casually. The Smithsonian stems from the recent wave of established and credible museums recognizing hip hop’s influence. This trend seems to be on the rise and promises good things for advocates of hip hop everywhere.
Ryan Fields
