On Jan. 8, the Sentinel was given a tour of “Hip Hop America: The Mixtape Exhibit” at the Grammy Museum at LA Live, by co-curators, Jasen Emmons and Adam Bradley.
Emmons is chief curator and vice president of Curation Affairs at the Grammy Museum and Adam Bradley is a professor of English and African American studies and founding director of Rap Lab at UCLA. Other co-curators are Felicia Angeja Viator, associate professor of History, San Fransico State University; Dan Charnas, associate arts professor, Clive Davis York University; and Jason King, Ph.D., dean, Thornton School of Music, USC.
Emmons and Bradley showed one of the displays that discuss the birth of hip hop.
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“A young girl from the Bronx, Cindy Campbell and her brother, Clive, known as DJ Kool Herc, decided to put on a back-to-school party in 1973 and party goers would be charged money to enter the party. Cindy wanted to raise money to buy new school clothes for herself,” explained Emmons. “The party became known as the birth of hip hop,” he noted.
The 50th Anniversary of Hip Hop was celebrated at the Grammys last year paying homage to the genre.
“We have a story that is massive – not even 5,000 square feet will contain it,” said Emmons describing the exhibit. Also on display is information about The Sugarhill Gang, who had one of the first rap records to be played on the radio, a 12-inch single called “Rappers Delight” in 1979.
“The Sugarhill Gang borrowed rap from Grandmaster Caz. His real name is Curtis Fisher. Grandmaster Caz is an innovator and he is still out there doing it,” said Bradley, who added that Caz is an American rapper, songwriter and DJ.
Enclosed in a glass case are actual mix tapes, which were a medium for deejays and artists to highlight their musical talents. There are also interactive stations, and one plays the song by Ray Charles “I Got a Woman,” (1954).
Another station plays the sample version of “Gold-Digger,” a hit by Kayne West and Jamie Fox that came out in 2005 and stayed number one on the Billboard 100 charts for 10 weeks. The song was also performed at the Grammys.
“The exhibit provides visitors with an experience where they can explore the impact and influence of hip hop on culture. This exhibit is for those who love hip hop, those who never heard the music before, and even those who hate rap,” said Emmons.
Another display shows the handwritten words to the song, “Children’s Story,” by rapper Slick Rick. Glass cases hold the suit worn by Nipsey Hussle to the 61st Grammy Awards and Busta Rhymes’ vinyl hat and jacket.
“We put Biggie Smalls’ jacket and Tupac Shakur’s white suit he wore in the video, ‘I Ain’t Mad Atcha’ in the same display [because] originally they were friends,” said Emmons.
“We also display a school essay written by Tupac. The essay by Tupac is titled, ‘Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death.’”
The exhibit also features NWA, Lil Wayne, and Migos as well as music and videos by Beyoncé and Salt-N-Peppa. The interactive stations offer visitors opportunities to practice break dancing or take photos.
The Grammy Museum at L.A. Live opened in 2008, “The recording academy wanted to tell the story of popular music,” said Emmons. “The opening was in conjunction with the 50th anniversary of the Grammy Awards.”
“Hip Hop America: The Mixtape Exhibit” will be open until Sept. 4. Admission is $18 for adults, $15 for seniors and members of the military, $12 for youth from ages 5 to 17, and free for children aged 4 and under.
The museum is located at 800 West Olympic Blvd., in Los Angeles. To learn more, call (213) 725-5700.
