The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame has announced the opening of a new Hip Hop exhibit in commemoration of the genre’s 50 year anniversary. The exhibit, “Holla If Ya Hear Me,” will be the most in-depth of its kind and will open on June 29th at the Hall of Fame’s primary location in Cleveland, Ohio.
The exhibit, sponsored by Technics, will feature some of the most influential artists of hip-hop ranging back to its birth including: Jay-Z, Grandmaster Flash, Roxanne Shante, Chuck D, Salt N’Pepa, The Notorious B.I.G., Queen Latifah, and countless more. From these artists, “Holla If Ya Hear Me” will display handwritten lyrics, clothing, some of the earliest gear used to create hip-hop beats, as well as displays highlighting historic social issues that inspired infamous singles.
More specific artifacts being highlighted include the handbill from the “All Star Birthday Bash for DJ Kool Herc”, which served as the birth of hip-hop at the 1520 Sedgewick Avenue house party in 1973, along with items from other key moments such as the release of Rapper’s Delight and hip-hop’s first rivalry of 1984.
“Holla If Ya Hear Me” will continue through “the new school” era featuring artifacts from the time’s most important moments like LL COOL J’s first single on Def Jam Records; First Album by female hip-hop act to go Gold & Platinum; Salt-N-Pepa’s jacket’s from the “Push It” video; and select items that commemorate hip-hop’s social consciousness which will feature artists from Public Enemy; Kendrick Lamar; Ice-T and Queen Latifah. The Moguls of hip-hop will end the exhibit with pieces from Jay-Z, Sean “Diddy” Combs, Russell Simons and more.
Salt N’ Pepa, the incredibly successful hip-hop group from the 80s and 90s who gave public audiences the music staples “Push It” and “Shoop,” commented on their extraordinary past in hip-hop and their anticipation for the new exhibit.
Going on to receive multiple platinum records and becoming one of the best-selling hip-hop groups of all time, was more than we could have hoped for. It was a major milestone in hip-hop’s trajectory over the past 50 years and we are so excited to be able to celebrate this important moment in music’s history with the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. We are honored to be a part of the new Holla If Ya Hear Me exhibit and hope everyone enjoys seeing some of our most iconic and important pieces from our career.
Salt N’ Pepa
To further celebrate the anniversary, the Rock Hall Shop will be offering an assortment of merchandise including T-shirts, hoodies, and accessories from some of hip-hop’s most influential artists and brands. New styles will be released all summer long.
Further information about the exhibition as well as the full artifact listing can be found here.
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