Museum celebrates hip-hop’s 45th anniversary

Isa Ferris, Reporter

DJ Kool Herc set up two turntables in his apartment on August 11, 1973 in the West Bronx for his sister’s birthday party. As he messed around with the drum breaks on each record, little did he know he was creating a new sound and marking the birthplace of hip-hop.

The 45th anniversary of hip-hop is on the horizon and to celebrate the Oakland Museum hosts an exhibit. The show focuses on four components rapping, DJing, breakdancing, and graffiti.

“[Through hip-hop] there’s a sense of pride and acceptance that you belong to a society and that you’re proud that you have a place in the public. We want to demonstrate ways that people can become part of the culture,” Oakland Museum Director René de Guzman in an online article for Smithsonian.

Oakland is the perfect place to host this exhibit because of its contributions to the West Coast hip-hop scene.  Oakland has fostered dance styles like turfing and artists Too $hort, 2Pac, and MC Hammer.

Hip-hop has been described as a form of self-expression. This exhibition perfectly embodies this idea, with multimedia aspects along with artifacts. There are even places for kids and adults to follow along to hip-hop moves on the screen and an area to practice their own mixing.

The exhibit encapsulates the spirit of hip-hop in all its forms, from LL Cool J’s tracksuit, Tupac’s handwritten lyrics, to original artwork.

Hip-hop is all about individuality, confidence, and flair. This show allows viewers to immerse themselves in that experience.

“RESPECT: Hip-Hop Style & Wisdom” runs from March 24 through August 12 in the Oakland Museum of California’s Great Hall.