Hip hop and its multigenerational influence is being celebrated with a block party this summer. On Aug. 13, the National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) will host the event in honor of the one year anniversary of the release of the Smithsonian Anthology of Hip Hop and Rap.
“The origins of hip hop and rap rest in community where people gathered together in basements, on street corners, neighborhood dance parties, and community shows to tell the stories of the people and places that brought it to life in a language all its own,” Dwandalyn Reece, associate director for curatorial affairs at NMAAHC, told Ebony.
A host of artists, including rapper D Smoke, are slated to perform during the daylong fete. DJ Spinderalla will also rock the ones and twos at a day party. The free event will take place blocks away from the NMAAHC.
“It is only fitting that NMAAHC celebrates the one-year anniversary of the Smithsonian Anthology of Hip Hop and Rap with a block party in our front yard. Like a true block party, we invite all ages to come together to enjoy activities and performances in honor of the museum’s greatest homage to the music and culture of hip hop,” added Reece.
The Smithsonian Hip Hop and Rap Anthology was released last August. It chronicles 45 years of music from the earliest days of rhyming in the Boogie Down Bronx to current records getting global spin. “Through the music, writing, and extensive liner notes, the Anthology reveals the many trends within this multifaceted genre, its social and political implications, and its influence on popular culture,” reads a statement about the anthology.
Just under 130 defining hip hop records are listed across nine discs. Artists who make appearances include the Sugarhill Gang, Run DMC, LL Cool J, N.W.A, Salt-N-Pepa and Nas, to name a few. The collection also features a 300-page book of photos, facts and essays telling the story of hip hop’s global impact throughout the decades.
Tickets to the block party are free and will be available beginning July 22. The NMAAHC is located in Washington, DC.