The Smithsonian have got a treat up their sleeve for all collectors with their upcoming Anthology of Hip-Hop and Rap box set.
The box set has seen The Smithsonian work alongside the National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) in Washington, D.C. It will arrive through Smithsonian Folkways Recordings, the non-profit record label arm of the Smithsonian Institute, on August 20th.
It promises to follow the four-decade history of the genre and how it has affected African American culture. It includes a whopping 129 tracks across nine CDs and hundreds of photographs from 1979 to 2013. There’s also a 300-page book that features essays from some of the greatest thinkers associated with hip-hop.
They first began working on the series back in 2014 and consulted heroes of the scene like Chuck D and Questlove, who helped guide them.
“Born in Bronx and raised across the American West and South, hip-hop is one of the most influential genres of music in the modern era,” Kevin Young, the Andrew W. Mellon Director of NMAAHC, said in a press release.
He added: “Through beats, dynamic rhymes, and pointed lyricism, hip-hop has provided a platform for communities and generations to voice their ongoing struggles and has changed society and culture around the world.”
Dwandalyn R. Reece, NMAAHC’s associate director for curatorial affairs, curator of music and performing arts and producer of the anthology, commented: “We wanted the Smithsonian Anthology of Hip-Hop and Rap to be reflective of the culture, of the music, of the people, of everything that is part of hip-hop.”
See a preview, below.
