It’s said that New York City is the city that never sleeps. By this logic, the Bronx has been having a serious case of insomnia as the last year has seen the rise of numerous new developments, projects, and cultural attractions including most recently, the New York City Universal Hip-Hop Museum (UHHM), which is slated to open in 2022.
The museum, which will be located just a stone’s throw from Yankee’s stadium, “celebrates and preserves the history of local and global hip-hop music and culture to inspire, empower, and promote understanding” of the Hip-Hop culture according to the museum’s website. The museum will feature not just artifacts, photos, exhibits, books, and other memorabilia, but will also feature a recording studio, virtual graffiti wall, and more interactive exhibits related to the genre. There are also plans for special events and exclusive performances by a variety of artists and influencers in the Hip-Hop genre.
Founders Rocky Bucano, Kurtis Blow, Shawn LG Thomas, Grandwizzard Theodore, Mickey Bentson, and Joe Conzo Jr. have vocalized their excitement about the long-anticipated museum. Blow has referenced the museum’s vision as an “amazing, awesome, magical, mystical, spiritual, exciting extravaganza.”
The founders also have quite a bit of additional star power in their corner with support from Ice-T (member of the founding board of directors), LL Cool J (cultural ambassador), and others as well as backing from the New York City Economic Development Corporation.
Yet the museum’s founders still need a little bit of help to make the museum as amazing as it can be. They are asking for the public to donate any Hip-Hop memorabilia that would contribute to the Hip-Hop narrative of the last 40 years including posters, photos, autographs, or any other rare collector’s items
For more information about donating items or just to get a sneak peek at some of the museum’s proposed offerings, visit the UHHM website at http://www.uhhm.org.
