Schomburg Center Celebrates Hip Hop History Month
From lyrics such as “Thinking of a master plan” to adding words to the vernacular such as a “shoutout,” which many credit to the groundbreaking television show Video Music Box, hip hop has impacted music, language, fashion, art, and dancing worldwide.
November is Hip Hop History Month. Explore the Schomburg Center's collections to learn more about the artists and writers who created and nurtured the art form.
Between the Lines: Sweat the Technique by Rakim
Rakim is considered one of the most influential lyricists of all time. In 2019, he sat down with Video Music Box host Ralph McDaniels to discuss his life, career, and peers. Watch the conversation.
A Great Day in Hip Hop: A Visual History 20 Years Later
In 2018, editors and artists such as Sheena Lester, Michael Gonzales, Fab 5 Freddy, and Styles P joined moderator andVibe magazine Editor-in-Chief Datwon Thomas to discuss the legendary 1998 "A Great Day in Hip Hop" photo by Gordon Parks. The picture featured over 200 artists. Watch the discussion.
Read More:
The Schomburg Center recently acquired the archives of filmmaker and artist Fred "Fab 5 Freddy" Brathwaite as part of its Home to Harlem initiative. Learn about the collection, which is currently being catalogued, in this article from The New York Times.
Between the Lines: Timbaland
Between the Lines: Timbaland
In 2015, music producer Timbaland, who was behind hits for artists such as Aaliyah, Jay-Z, Rihanna, and Justin Timberlake, shared the stories behind his work and discussed his innovative sound effects, such as using a baby’s sigh. Watch his conversation with journalist Jelani Cobb.
Kid ‘N Play in Comic Books
For rappers Kid ‘N Play, the box office success of the 1990 film House Party led to a comic book series published by Marvel. The Kid ‘N Play comic book ran for nine issues. The Manuscripts, Archives and Rare Books Division has every one in its Hip-Hop Archive Project Files collection.
My Mic Sounds Nice: A Truth About Women and Hip Hop
“People say the state of the female MC is very shaky,” said rap artist Trina in the 2010 documentary My Mic Sounds Nice: A Truth About Women and Hip Hop. “It’s been shaky for years and that’s just because females don’t get as much exposure and as much perks as the guys. And, that’s just a fact.” An early work by award-winning director Ava DuVernay, My Mic Sounds Nice focuses on the history, challenges, and artistry of women hip hop artists from the 1980s through 2010. The film includes conversations with groundbreaking artists such as MC Lyte, Roxanne Shanté, Missy Elliott, Eve, and Salt-N-Pepa.
The Center’s Moving Image and Recorded Sound Division holds a copy of the film, which originally aired on Black Entertainment Television.
Hip-Hop: The Illustrated History of Rap Music, Break Dancing and Subway Graffiti
The Manuscripts, Archives, and Rare Books Division holds the papers of journalist and author Steven Hager. He wrote Hip-Hop: The Illustrated History of Rap Music, Break Dancing and Subway Graffiti (1984), the first book documenting hip hop music and culture during the early 1970s to the mid 1980s.
The collection includes the outline and manuscript of the project. Learn more.
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