The Hip Hop Museum has been moving its way around the country and will land in Los Angeles this weekend ahead of its official opening as a permanent fixture in the Bronx in 2025.
Popping up on Saturday (November 11), the touring exhibit will feature early Hip Hop artifacts from 1973-1990. The six-date trek debuted in New York and has since hit Atlanta, Houston and Charlotte before its Los Angeles stop, and will conclude in Miami.
For those interested in attending in the West Coast city, doors will be open from 11am – 7pm at the Hudson Loft — get your free tickets here.
Check out a flyer for the event below
The Universal Hip Hop Museum broke ground in May of 2021 in Hip Hop’s birth place, the Bronx. The 50,000 square-feet UHHM is part of a $349million project alongside the Harlem River waterfront. Bronx Point’s first phase promises to deliver 542 units of permanently affordable housing to the Lower Concourse neighborhood with approximately 2.8 acres of public open space.
In 2019, the State of New York donated a $3.5 million grant to the museum. It’s scheduled to open some time in 2025, though they initially were aiming for 2023 to coincide with the Hip Hop 50 celebrations
The celebrations will be continuing this week, with a Grammys Hip Hop 50 tribute coming on Wednesday (November 8) – which will see Will Smith and DJ Jazzy Jeff reunite on stage in a star-studded performance.
The Grammy Salute special will be taped this week and air on December 10 starting at 8:30 p.m. ET on CBS. Tickets are currently available for those in Los Angeles who want to attend the taping — get them here.
There’s a laundry list of rappers who are slated to contribute to the tribute spanning all different eras of Hip Hop’s 50 years. Some of the names include: Gunna, Jeezy, GloRilla, 2 Chainz, Latto, Jermaine Dupri, DJ Quik, E-40, LL COOL J, T.I. and more.
The rest of the lineup includes: Arrested Development, Big Daddy Kane, Black Sheep, Cypress Hill, Digable Planets, Juvenile, Luniz, MC Lyte, Roxanne Shanté, Spinderella, Three 6 Mafia, Too $hort, Warren G, YG, Black Thought, Bun B, Common, De La Soul, J.J. Fad, Talib Kweli, The Lady Of Rage, MC Sha-Rock, Monie Love, The Pharcyde, Queen Latifah, Questlove, Rakim, Remy Ma, Uncle Luke and Yo-Yo.
The tribute will serve as one of Will Smith’s first major public appearances since his infamous Chris Rock slap at the 2022 Academy Awards last March. Smith has since been banned by The Academy from attending its events for a decade for his actions.
DJ Jazzy Jeff and Will Smith made Grammy history as “Parents Just Don’t Understand” became the first rap song to win a Grammy trophy in 1989, but weren’t invited to perform at the ceremony. However, the “Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” collaborators became the first rappers to perform at the award show a year later in 1990.
