The conversation is taking place on our Facebook page. But, we thought we’d pull over our response to posts referencing the recent Wall Street Journal article about the museum.

Thanks for your post Ed. And we want you to know, that our plan and design for this institution is definitely a much different model than any other museum and that the substance within the facility will not be standard by any means.

We really feel like your comment might be one of, if not the best we’ve ever seen on here. The fact of the matter is… See More that we do understand the plight of the Pioneers and we have great sympathy for them. It is their legacies that was an original motivating force for us to erect this museum in the first place. But what the Pioneers don’t seem to understand, is not only is it not the responsibility of a non-profit to compensate artists just for being artists, but its also unlawful. NMoH would easily lose its 501(c)3 if the IRS ever caught wind of payments being made to random pioneers without any particular services having been rendered. Further, has anyone considered how many old school folks are really actually out there? Who’s to say what constitutes an “official pioneer”? If we compensate one, we would have to compensate them all! That would basically turn us into a welfare office, not a museum. And it would leave absolutely no resources left to serve any significant public interests, which at the end of the day, is what EVERY non-profit is supposed to do in some shape or form.

Nonetheless, and this is yet another factor not considered by the pioneers, ever since the Museum was founded, the Board put in place certain policies that would help enrich the livelihood of the Pioneers…policies such as the “Hip-Hop Heroes” fund; a fund that was enacted back in 2006 for the sole purpose of providing resources for pioneers and other old school/economically challenged hip-hop artists (ALL elements not just rappers) to get back on their feet. The way the fund works is that there will be a small percentage extracted from every museum admission ticket sold, every concert ticket sold, and every special event ticket sold that would go into an annuall fund that would finance special programs for these artists-NOT to be given to them in the form of a check! We plan to use the resources to do things like provide job training, or provide venues for them to give speeches, or help them with their marketing so they may reinvent themselves and put out new material–things of a nature that would enable them to help themselves. We feel like that is a better (and more legal) method for showing our respect for these artists and also helping them rebound. But we cannot implement these policies until we raise the necessary funds to erect a building. And the truth is, it will be close to impossible to do that if the “culture” continues to destroy itself from within. We don’t need constant bickering and antagonism, need UNITY.

Bottom line is this: as was said by Craig Wilson, the President, inside the Wall Street Journal this week, we are building this museum for HIP-HOP CULTURE, as a whole, not for any particular individual parts of it. Every single person involved with NMoH is 100% volunteer. Our ONLY motivation for doing this is the preservation of our Culture. We are all fans of the biggest form of music, art and culture in the world-why don’t we have a facility that shows this?!?? Rock has one, Country has one, Hip-Hop needs one! At NMoH, we have a phrase that we like to live by-its a simple question that can be asked of anyone who claims to be a part of our culture: ARE YOU USING YOURSELF TO BENEFIT HIP-HOP CULTURE OR ARE YOU USING HIP-HOP CULTURE TO BENEFIT YOURSELF?? I think the answer to this for NMoH is obvious and clear. How would the folks asking us for money answer this?

Please visit http://www.facebook.com/hiphopmuseum to follow our tribute to Guru, where we continue to post Twitter mentions, YouTube videos, and other information celebrating the life and music of one of Hip-Hop’s favorite sons.

This Short-e video coverage of the NMoH event is an accurate representation of the important conversation taking place around the effort to bring the National Museum of Hip-Hop to a reality. Please watch and share your comments below. Your feedback is important.

Thanks for the great Red Velvet Cupcakes, Cakeman! Everyone loved them.

Hip-Hop fans…please support Cake Man Raven.

708-a Fulton St. Brooklyn New York 11217-1625 – 718.694.CAKE (2253)

[View with PicLens]

12►

Photos: Robert Adam Mayer”

Questions/ Contact

917-282-5680
studio@www.robertadammayer.com
Robert Adam Mayer Photography
www.robertadammayer.com

http://iamphotorob.blogspot.com/

http://www.myspace.com/applepeye

© Robert Adam Mayer ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Thank you to everyone who came out to support the Museum and the Culture.

It pains us that we were not able to accommodate every single artist, pioneer, fan, donor, family member and friend who showed up to celebrate with us. We attempted to keep our first event small and manageable, but once word got out, the response from around the world was tremendous! When 2,500 people come out to fit into a venue that only holds 400, problems are bound to occur. That being said, we promise that our next event will be held at a venue that can accommodate everyone. We hope that you can forgive us for our miscalculation, and join us at our next event.

Thank you again,

John Ambrose
VP, National Museum of Hip-Hop

We are aware of the issues many ticket holders faced at the door for the Hip-Hop Immortal Event at Pink Elephant. The event started at 7 PM and many ticket holders were unable to access the venue after 8 pm due to circumstances beyond our control. Most New Yorkers are aware that venues control door policy. Venues are always concerned about overcrowding and have the right to shut the doors at a moment’s notice.

Please email events@nmoh.org with your questions about the event and we will try our best to respond to each individual as soon as possible. We are working on providing a phone number to call shortly.

Please remember the National Museum of Hip-Hop is a registered non-profit, 501(c)(3) organization. This event was a fund raising initiative to raise money to drive the museum initiative. As with any non-profit initiative, NMoH depends on donor and fan support. We understand and are committed honoring our obligations to Hip-Hop fans who were unable to access the venue.

Thank you for your patience and support while we work to resolve each request.

National Museum of Hip-Hop Launch Event

Co-Hosted by KRS One and Chuck D
Special Performances by Grandmaster Flash, Chuck Chillout, Grand Wizard Theodore, and Jeru the Damaja.

Open Bar from 7:00 to 8:00 PM (must be at least 21 years of age to attend). Complimentary sponsored signature drinks all night long.

Note: ONLY TICKET HOLDERS WILL BE ADMITTED.
To purchase tickets please go to: Hip-Hop Immortal Eventbrite Page.

RSVP list will be checked against Master ticket list

The National Museum of Hip-Hop alongside Power 105.1 and AllHipHop.com invites true hip-hop fans to Hip-Hop Immortal, its first major event to raise funds and awareness for the construction of the world’s first Hip-Hop museum and for the implementation of its community programs.

Please join us for a celebration, complimentary cocktails, and special performances from Grandmaster Flash, Chuck Chillout, Grand Wizard Theodore, and Jeru the Damaja, along with co-hosts Chuck D & KRS One, and a variety of other entertainment executives, Pioneer rappers, djs, b-boys and graffiti artists and community leaders to launch this monumental project at this very special event.

The integral theme of the night will be a celebration of the Legends and Pioneers of all Four Elements of the Hip-Hop Culture. There will be magazine, print, television, news and internet media at the event as well as our own camera crew to conduct interviews concerning the need for the project and highlighting the graciousness of all that had attended and helped to make the event happen.

Some invited guests are: Raekwon, Method Man, Redman, Zach Galifianakis, A Tribe Called Quest, Russell Simmons, Spike Lee, Earl Monroe, Flava Flav, Rah Digga, Rza, Kevin Liles, Nore, Furious Five, Zulu Nation, Ice T, Royce Da 59, Saigon, Craig G, Raheim, DJ Roxy, DJ Marley Marl, DJ Polo, Fredro Star, Ali Shaheed Muhammed, Phife Dog, Canibus, Dres, AG, O.C, Buckwild, Lord Finesse, Alamo, Lord Jamar, Sadat X, Grand Puba, Naheem, Mos Def, Talib Kweli, Ralph McDaniels, Ulysses Terrero, Torae, Pharohe Monch, Black Milk, DJ Disco Wiz, DJ Scratch, J. Period, DJ Green Lantern, MC Lyte, Stic Man, and many many more!

Many thanks to our sponsors: Allhiphop.com, Power 105.1, Campus Monsta, Dress the Drink, City Iris Flowers, Kah Tequila, African Rum, Corona and Sassi Concepts & Designs, Inc.

Catch us on Facebook/HipHopMuseum and @NMoH on Twitter

For Press and Media Inquiries Contact: Tafia L. Allah-Pringle, tafia (at )tlapr.com

For Pioneer, Celebrity, and/or Industry RSVP Contact: John Ambrose, jambrose (at) nmoh.org

Donate on the Donate-A-Dollah page.

Donations are greatly appreciated and needed to make this happen!

The National Museum of Hip-Hop is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization registered with the Internal Revenue Service/Department of the Treasury. Therefore, all donations are tax-deductible to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law. All donors receive an acknowledgment that includes a confirmation of their donation for their tax records.

The jury is still out on the new technological developments that allow DJs to scratch MP3′s with vinyl dubplates. Rane’s Serato DJ software is far and away the leader in space. And with endorsements from high profile DJs like Qbert and crews like the 5th Platoon, it doesn’t look like the popularity of this software will abate any time soon. In fact, every major DJ equipment manufacturer have come out with scratch software of their own. Stanton’s Final Scratch are a distant second and Native Instrument’s Traktor Scratch is quickly catching up to Serato as one of the most popular DJ software packages.

With all this new techology, lugging a crate of vinyl to the competition has become a thing of the past. No longer does a DJ have to break his or her back. All you need today is a laptop, a midi interaface that acts as both the computers sound card and passes the signal from the turntables to the computer while manipulating the platter. Some say the art of the scratch DJ has been lost. The nuances of turntablism have gone the way of the dinosaur. The true sound of vinyl hitting the needle and inadvertent errors that turn out to be new tricks, we might be losting something, while many up and coming DJs are turning out new tricks that make the old sound pale in comparison.

New technology has always permeated DJ culture. We can’t be afriad to look to new tools to carry us in the future. With every generation, while we may lose something, we build on the past and bring new ideas to the forefront that will continue to propel DJ culture for many years to come.

As the third chronological element of hip-hop, b-boying (or breakdancing for the commercial folks whom are street-impaired) has a rich history within hip-hop culture.  As with the other three elements (Rap, Graffiti, DJing), b-boying was founded on the principles of skill, originality and expression.  A highly difficult and acrobatic form of dance, it’s not the sort of thing you see performed at every party; well not in the USA at least.

Back in the day (late 70s and early 80s), you couldn’t go anywhere in New York City without seeing b-boys and b-girls battling; whether at a house party, a dance club, the blacktop basketball court, or even in the subway stations.  B-boying was all the craze-if you weren’t breakin, poppin’ or lockin’, then you just weren’t hip-hop.  Started within the base house parties of the South Bronx, b-boying quickly spread across the country and was easily the most popular form of dance.  Fast forward two decades later, rappers are dominating pop culture in America and the b-boy element is all but forgotten.

Presently, as the commercialism (and negative influence) of rap continues to flood hip-hop culture, pioneering art forms such as DJing, graffiti and b-boying continue to diminish in the U.S.  Abroad, however, in countries such as Germany, South Africa, Russia and especially Japan, b-boying is as popular as it was in 1985 New York City.

There seems to be a high level of respect given to the b-boy art form in foreign countries.  Japanese b-boy crews have taken breakdancing to new heights; performing much more acrobatic stunts and awe-inspiring aerial moves. As with pretty much everything else created in America, the Japanese took it and made it better! How is it that the average teenage German hip-hop fan regards someone like Crazy Legs as a God of b-boying, but the average teenage so-called hip-hop fan in New York City doesn’t even know who Crazy Legs is?  Afrika Bambaataa can sell out an arena in China but cant get a single booking in Manhattan.  There is something seriously wrong with that.

Make no mistake, b-boying does have a strong underground existence in the States; and seems to be gaining a slow but steady level of popularity among the younger generation of hip-hop heads.  However, domestic b-boys are not getting anywhere near the love and/or respect that they deserve from the city/country of the element’s origin.

On the subject of emceeing, easily the strongest/most popular element of hip-hop, there is a significant generational divide which seems to be widening y the minute. The original hip-hop generation (early 80s) are arguing that, despite the huge amounts of money generated by rap’s current emcees, the music is all but devoid of any creativity or originality. One could make a plausible argument that all that’s needed to succeed in a career of emceeing in today’s industry is to know the right people who have enough money to market the emcee to death. Whenever a person can make songs like “chicken noodle soup” and “supaman” that not only get top-billing on the radio but also top the charts, this is when it becomes quite apparent that skill, originality, and/or street credibility are NOT necessary to succeed. Its just not that hard to get your music over-marketed nowadays; gone are the days when radio DJs played records that were dope BECAUSE they were dope. Now, they play the songs that certain record companies pay them to play. And only 2 or 3 record companies own pretty much all the artists so we wind up hearing a continuous shuffle of the same songs on all the radio stations. Again, all that’s needed is marketing.

Back in the day, an emcee had to prove himself/herself in the streets first; they were judged based on their lyrics and their DJs. Today, emcees seem to have forgotten (or maybe never knew) what the word “lyric” means. Furthermore, today’s rappers don’t even use DJs anymore; a slap in the face to pioneer DJs and emcees who have paved the way for these newbies to rock.

Now, on the flipside, many of today’s hip-hop fans believe there is a justification for the way things are; they call it “evolution”. The argument is that all “old school” music needs to stay in the past and that critics of today’s rap are “haters”. Critics are simply envious of the height of success reached by today’s rappers. Pioneers and old-school rappers are bitter because they’re broke.

Everyone is entitled to an opinion/theory, but lets break it down! First, the term “evolution” denotes the “advancement” or “improvement” of something. I think its quite plausible to argue that, in terms of lyrics, creativity, and originality-the founding principles of rap-going from Kool G Rap to Young Jeezy is hardly evolutionary in ANY sense! As far as all the “Old School” talk; well do rock n’ roll fans say these sort of things about their pioneers? Have you ever spoken to a rock fan who didn’t know AND have the utmost respect for The Beatles? Yet, out of 25 teenagers asked about their knowledge of KRS-1, only 2 claimed to have maybe heard of him. This seems a bit unacceptable.

Critics or so-called “haters” of today’s rap seem to just be very irate a couple of specific facts: 1) pioneers are not receiving their due respect for an art form they created and 2) today’s folks feel that an abundance of money justifies the total dilution of a sacred art form. These points seem like more than reasonable motivation for real hip-hop enthusiasts, not haters, to be pissed off.