In a 2020 article at Pitchfork about hip-hop’s complex relationship with museums and other institutions, Sheldon Pearce alluded to “the first-ever space dedicated to the culture.” That would be the Universal Hip Hip Museum in the Bronx, which includes musical legends like Grandmaster Melle Mel and Kurtis Blow among its founders, as well as an advisory board featuring other luminaries like Q-Tip and Fab Five Freddy.
In late 2019, the state of New York contributed $3.7 million towards the project. The museum will have a home in the Bronx Point development, which will also include numerous apartments, a performance space and a food hall. A recent article at NY1 offers encouraging news for anyone who’s been waiting patiently for the museum to open: construction is set to begin at the end of January.
NY1’s article also states that the museum will open to the public in 2023. Based on a post on the museum’s website, this will be for “a special on-site celebration” to honor the 50th anniversary of hip-hop. A more formal opening will take place in 2024, due to construction delays as a result of the pandemic.
Whenever it opens, this museum looks to be a hub for an essential part of musical and cultural history — and a vital addition to New York City’s landscape.
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