Rappers have been honored with entry into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for the past few years now, and a question that has gained traction over that period is one that asks why hip-hop doesn't have an institution of its own to preserve its history in. At no time had the subject been raised more persistently than it was this past April when 2Pac became an RRHOF honoree, prompting Ice Cube to tell TMZ, "Hip Hop need our own Hall of Fame." Thanks to community organizer and entrepreneur James ‘J.T.’ Thompson, Cube actually soon will have a place dedicated to artists who've built legacies in the genre to the degree he has.
Unbeknownst to many, Thompson and his HHHOF vision has already established some history in the game, having broadcast a Hip-Hop Hall of Fame Awards TV Show in the 1990's. The plan was always to work towards an end goal of converting the attention and funding raised from the program into a museum that would showcase the work and stories of DJ Kool Herc, Afrika Bambaataa, Grandmaster Flash and the many others aired on its platform, along with those who've come along to be deemed great in the years since. What has come to manifest out of Thomspon's ambition are designs for a state-of-the-art facility that will “preserve, archive, exhibit, educate, and showcase hip-hop Music and culture from around the world,” he says.
The Hip Hop Hall of Fame's location has been designated for Harlem and will be emerging soon enough, with plans to begin phase one of its development in February of 2018. The objective is to eventually fill the 20-story building that has been purchased with a 5-star hotel, retail mall, concert lounge, arcade, and restaurant. It will also boast a multimedia film production studio and television production center for students in the community. A campaign to raise $150 million for an entertainment complex on the facility is underway already, according to reports.
Source: huffingtonpost.com
