For at least 15 years, the New York City community, as well as an international hip-hop fan base, has sought to establish an institution that celebrates and commemorates the accomplishments of the various professionals who have helped to pave the way for the development, progression and regional/global expansion of the hip-hop industry. The Board of Governors for the National Museum of Hip-Hop, a museum organization that has been chartered by the New York State Board of Regents, has responded to this by arranging for the development of this facility.

Specifically, the Museum plans to acquire land at 149th Street and River Avenue in the Bronx; the purpose of which is to provide space for a museum, a hall of fame facility, galleries, public parks, offices, workshops and more, offering great flexibility for facility planners. This flexibility will be very helpful, since community members consulted have indicated many potential paths a hip-hop museum will take.

View Larger Map

These include:

• A museum focusing on a regional hip-hop history and culture, within a broader national and international context, featuring exhibitions and educational programs aimed at a broad spectrum of the community;
• A museum that would not only collect artifacts and other materials, but would also function as a showplace for hip-hop artistic achievement, both past and present; and
• A hip-hop cultural super center, with a major focus on serving as a repository for the history and culture of hip-hop. The facility will provide collections for use by educational institutions and host public programs that focus on community improvement as well as hip-hop history and culture.

After a lengthy process that involved working with the early pioneers of hip-hop and a stellar group of museum professionals, the plan called for a single institution, focusing on the history of hip-hop, as well as its integration into the fabric of American Culture. This synthesis represents a museum with strong community ties, a gathering place for hip-hop fans and a site for the high-tech display of historic and contemporary hip-hop paraphernalia. The precise shape of the future museum will reflect the input of the entire community, which includes but may not be limited to the following: artists, residents, and elected officials.

NMoH Mission:

The National Museum of Hip-Hop exists to feature and commemorate the cultural achievements of hip-hop, as well as its artists from around New York, the Nation and the World. It exists as a place to represent the pride of the hip-hop culture, as well as to educate and to celebrate. It exists as a place where area residents and visitors from around the World can visit to learn about all the elements of hip-hop culture.