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The Hip Hop Hall of Fame, also known as the Hip Hop Hall of Fame + Museum, is a New York chartered non-profit 501 c(3) museum and educational institution whose focus is hip hop music and culture from around the world. [1]
The Hip Hop Hall of Fame was founded in 1992 by Hip Hop Hall of Fame Awards creator and executive producer James 'JT' Thompson, a New York City native and Los Angeles-raised hip hop connoisseur. [2] The Hip Hop Hall of Fame was launched globally in September 1995 at Sylvia's, which unveiled the plans for the museum, educational programs, and the BET Cable Network deal for the inaugural Hip Hop Hall of Fame Awards TV Show.
The Hip Hop Hall of Fame Museum was to be funded by the Hip Hop Hall of Fame Awards TV Shows, modeled after the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame model. However, due to the artist beefs that led to the deaths of Tupac Shakur and the Notorious BIG after the show broadcasts, the Hip Hop Hall of Fame + Museum lost advertisers and sponsorship clients and could not return to the airwaves during that era, putting the museum building plans on hiatus.[ citation needed ] The Hip Hop Hall of Fame also attempted a re-launch in Los Angeles in 1997 that featured Kurtis Blow, Prince Whipper Whip of the Fantastic Five, Grandmaster Caz of the Cold Crush Brothers, founder and executive producer James 'JT' Thompson, The Watts Prophets, The Legendary Actor – Rapper 'Dolemite', Dominique DiPrima of The Beat & KJLH Radio, and more film and television personalities, but the awards still could not return to television until 2014.
The Hip Hop Hall of Fame has held inductions in the 1990s on BET, and in 2014 from Stage 48 hosted by hip hop icon Roxanne Shante [3] in NYC broadcast on Soul of the South TV network. [4] The Hip Hop Hall of Fame holds its annual induction ceremony every November during Hip Hop History Month in New York City. Artists and culture element contributors are eligible for induction after 20 years from their initial record release, and contributors based upon merit and impact on hip hop music and culture that includes MCs, DJs, graffiti artworks, B-Boys/Girls dancers, executives, producers, labels, fashion, business, scholarship, and community.
The Hall of Fame offices are currently headquartered in Harlem, New York City however no physical Hall of Fame exists as of 2023. Its community space is scheduled to feature hip hop art, music, digital video, dance, and community event space for its educational outreach with its partner organizations. [5]
The new development project to house the Hip Hop Hall of Fame + Museum and a hotel entertainment complex was originally slated for 125th street in a 20-story facility that would include the actual Hall of Fame, a gift store, arcade, TV broadcast studios, a sports bar, restaurant and concert venue producing over 100 events annually. The Hip Hop Hall of Fame educational programming will include a youth arts and media training academy and will accommodate over 25,000 NYC public school kids on educational field trips and programs annually. [6] [7] The complex was scheduled for phase one in 2018 [8] but that did not occur.
Future plans are unclear as to whether the museum, if it opens, will be in midtown or Harlem.
Kurtis Walker, known professionally by his stage name Kurtis Blow, is an American rapper, songwriter, and record producer. Walker is the first commercially successful rapper and the first to sign with a major record label. "The Breaks", a single from his 1980 self-titled debut album, is the first certified gold record rap song. Throughout his career he has released 17 albums and is currently an ordained minister.
Marlon Lu'Ree Williams, better known by his stage name Marley Marl, is an American DJ, record producer, rapper and record label founder, primarily operating in hip hop music. Marlon grew up in Queensbridge housing projects located in Queens, New York. He performed in local talent shows during the early days of rap music, further fueling his interest.
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (RRHOF), also simply referred to as the Rock Hall, is a museum and hall of fame located in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, United States, on the shore of Lake Erie. The museum documents the history of rock music and the artists, producers, engineers, and other notable figures and personnel who have influenced its development.
Lana Michele Moorer, better known by her stage name MC Lyte, is an American rapper. Considered one of the pioneers of female rap, MC Lyte first gained fame in the late 1980s, becoming the first female rapper to release a full solo album with 1988's critically acclaimed Lyte as a Rock. The album spawned the singles "10% Dis" and "Paper Thin".
Lolita Shante Gooden, better known by her stage name Roxanne Shante, is an American rapper. She first gained attention through the Roxanne Wars and was part of the Juice Crew. The 2017 film Roxanne Roxanne is a dramatization of Shante's life.
Queensbridge Houses, also known simply as Queensbridge or QB, is a public housing development in the Long Island City neighborhood of Queens, New York City. Owned by the New York City Housing Authority, the development contains 96 buildings and 3,142 units accommodating approximately 7,000 people in two separate complexes. The complex opened in 1939 and is the largest housing project in North America.
WNYE-TV is a non-commercial independent television station in New York City. It is operated by NYC Media, a division of the Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment, alongside public radio station WNYE. The two stations share studios at the City University of New York's Graduate Center in Midtown Manhattan, while WNYE-TV's transmitter is located at 4 Times Square.
The Roxanne Wars were a series of hip hop rivalries during the mid-1980s, yielding rap music's first diss record and perhaps the most answer records in history. It is one of hip-hop's earliest feuds and perhaps the first ever "rap beef". The dispute arose over a failed appearance at a radio promotional show. There were two Roxannes in question: Roxanne Shanté and The Real Roxanne.
Shaun Shiller Fequiere, known by his stage name Kangol Kid, was an American hip hop producer, songwriter, break dancer, and emcee. Kangol is best known as a member of the old school hip hop group UTFO.
Ernie Paniccioli is an American photographer of hip hop culture who lives in Jersey City, New Jersey. He was inducted into the Hip Hop Hall of Fame in 2014.
Calvin LeBrun, known professionally as Mister Cee or DJ Mister Cee, was an American DJ, broadcaster, record executive, and radio personality. Credited with the discovery of both rappers, he guest featured on Big Daddy Kane's 1988 debut album Long Live the Kane, and served as associate executive producer for the Notorious B.I.G.'s 1994 debut album, Ready to Die. Mister Cee is widely considered to be a pioneering figure in East Coast hip hop.
Frederick Crute, known professionally as Kool DJ Red Alert, is an Antiguan-American disc jockey who rose to fame on WRKS 98.7 Kiss FM in New York City and is recognized as one of the founding fathers of hip hop music and culture. His weekly radio show airs on WBLS 107.5 FM from Monday to Saturday at 6pm EST.
Adelaida Martinez, better known by her stage name the Real Roxanne, is an American female hip hop MC who recorded for Select Records.
Janette Beckman is a British documentary photographer who has worked in London, New York and Los Angeles. Beckman describes herself as a documentary photographer. While she produces a lot of work on location, she is also a studio portrait photographer. Her work has appeared on records for the major labels, and in magazines including Esquire,Rolling Stone,Glamour,Italian Vogue,The Times,Newsweek,Jalouse,Mojo and others.
Frank Javiel Malave, better known by his stage name Frankie Cutlass, is an American Grammy nominated and award winning DJ, record producer, songwriter, and remixer from East Harlem, New York City. He was a member of the Funkmaster Flex's DJ collective The Flip Squad.
The National Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame is an independent organization whose mission is to educate and to celebrate, preserve, promote, and present rhythm and blues music globally.
Big Fun in the Big Town is a Dutch music documentary made by the VPRO in 1986. It was directed by Bram van Splunteren and presented by Belgian TV presenter Marcel Vanthilt. The documentary was shot on location in New York City and consisted of two parts, one about rock singer Iggy Pop and the Stooges, the other about the American hip hop scene. The latter turned out to have a much bigger impact on the Dutch music scene and enjoys a cult classic status among hip-hop fans.
Sharon Green, also known as MC Sha-Rock, is considered the "first female rapper" or emcee. Born in Wilmington, North Carolina, she grew up in the South Bronx, New York City during the earliest years of hip hop culture and rap music. Within the hip-hop community she has been referred to as the "Mother of the Mic". As a member of the Funky 4 + 1, one of the first hip-hop crews to appear on national television, her style influenced notable rappers like MC Lyte and DMC of Run-DMC.
"Roxanne's Revenge" is the debut single by American rapper Roxanne Shante. It was produced by a then unknown Marley Marl and released in 1984 through the independent label Pop Art Records. In the song, a 14-year-old Roxanne Shante, whose real name is Lolita Shanté Gooden, responds to UTFO's hit song "Roxanne, Roxanne". In addition to her feud with UTFO, this also caused between 30 and more than 100 "answer songs" from different hip hop artists to be produced at that time, in what would be called "Roxanne Wars".
Doreen C. Broadnax, known professionally as Sparky D, or spelled Sparky Dee is an American hip–hop musician and rapper. Broadnax is noted as one of the first female battle rappers, first gaining attention through the Roxanne Wars; when she responded to Roxanne Shante's "Roxanne's Revenge" with "Sparky's Turn " in 1985.