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[Battlezone]

Details here.

There’s been a lot of talk about the “institutionalization of hip-hop” as of late. And it’s not without cause.

For the better part of four decades and running, the Bronx baby has bloomed into music’s most progressive discipline, an outlet that affords as much room to sharp political discourse as it does breezy, care-free ruminations on the act of merely existing in a world stacked in the favor of another. Like jazz and funk before it, hip-hop’s roots are deeply-embedded in the soil of social upheaval and protest.

And like all bodies of work that have stood the test of decades and bear pioneers that elevate the craft beyond its humble beginnings to the point of a pillar in music at large, its subject to strict academic analysis, if only to preserve its origins and strengthen the ongoing study of a pivotal force in music.

Who helped create the Anthology?
The Anthology was developed by the Smithsonian in collaboration with an advisory board comprised of members of the hip-hop community including artists Chuck D, MC Lyte, Questlove and 9th Wonder; industry veterans Bill Adler and Bill Stephney; author, journalist and music critic Jeff Chang; and university scholars and authors Adam Bradley (University of Colorado, Boulder), Cheryl Keyes (UCLA) and Mark Anthony Neal (Duke).

The committee reached out to more than 50 artists, scholars, DJs, photographers, filmmakers and other members of the hip-hop community for their input into the track list and final package.

Cey Adams, artist and founding creative director of Def Jam, designed the Anthology.

And because I'm sure it will come up:

Isn't the Smithsonian federally funded?
The Smithsonian has always relied on private support in addition to federal funds. In fact, the Smithsonian was founded 171 years ago by a private donation to the United States government! Federal appropriations provide the foundation of the Smithsonian's operating budget and support core functions – safeguarding our collections, building operations and maintenance as well as staffing. However, we rely on private donations of all sizes to support many of our priorities, including research, educational outreach and special projects.

In other words, your support will make the Anthology possible. By backing the project, you will help the Smithsonian tell the powerful story of hip-hop and its place in American culture. You will truly be the reason it is brought to life – and we'll keep you involved as we create, design, produce and ship it to homes, including yours!

And it's tax deductible! I love projects like this. I'm real picky about Kickstarter projects, and I prefer the ones with a proven track record that is basically a preorder. So I might be in for that three pack of this, the Jazz and Leadbelly collections. That Questlove prize level, tho...

I do wish it was on vinyl, though.

 

[Andrew Korenchkin]

Very cool.

 

[Machine]

Nice. Count me in.