Benny Cruz and Jens Franzén: Making “Old” Stuff New, Always Relatable and Relevant
Benny Cruz, interdisciplinary artist and THHM Donor photographed by Jens FranzénJens Franzén, photographer and THHM Donor photographed by Bruce Gilden (Magnum Photos, London, England, 2019) These remarkable artists, based in […]
Access is The Commodity
If you know how and why Hip Hop began, you know how powerful storytelling – for the sake of justice, culture, and entertainment – can be. Thus, you can appreciate why Sulaiman Jenkins and Mutah Beale produced and wrote their book Life is ЯAW: The Story of a Reformed Outlaw. They donated a signed copy to the Universal Hip Hop Museum.
James A. Peterson: Brushing with Fame, Making Greatness
“Growing up a small poor white kid in a multi-ethnic neighborhood in Milwaukee, I am glad that Hip Hop found me, and I found it. It made me feel cool and tough and hip. I don’t know if I was any of those, but thankfully the music helped me exude those things to a degree. I am unbelievably honored to be able to share gifts and collaborate creatively with some of the people who have had the biggest influence ever on Hip Hop music and culture. Then, to have those interactions and collaborations be installed in a museum dedicated to the music I have loved the most in my life brings me unspeakable joy.”
Richard Montes: Passing the Mic with Intention and Impact
“My work as a filmmaker aims to document, preserve, and tell stories that highlight my communities’ histories. Having the “Pass the Mic!” Collection at the Universal Hip Hop Museum contributes towards the well-being and unity of Brown, Indigenous, Black, and immigrant communities.”
Michael Benabib: Synchronized with and Supportive of Hip Hop since 1985
“I feel like Hip Hop picked me. It presented itself to me on the street. This movement picked me because of the way I experienced it on the streets of New York. It was such a dynamic force in 1985-1986. I was compelled to start taking these photos. Because it was happening. It was viral. It was coming out of the speakers. Kangol hats. It solved the problem that every artist has: where are you going to point your camera? I was in the right place at the right time. And I ran with it.” – Michael Benabib
Eric Chambers: Painting Hip Hop’s Golden Age with Pro-Black Allegorical Art
What’s Important About These Items As an art teacher today, and one who was a member of a graffiti crew in the mid-1980s, who learned how to pop lock from […]
Christian Paniagua: Bringing Hip Hop to Life via Visual Art
What’s Important About These Items The truest music can be seen as well as heard. Christian Paniagua knows this. His art is born of, and fueled by, his roots – […]
Being You is Revolutionary
Music. Every genre has its thing. Songs are often, if not usually, about something specific and structured accordingly. While every song is – in different ways – about the human experience, the tones, styles, and methods are different.
Hip Hop Through His Lens: Tarikh Commodore, the Bronx, and Art
Music. Every genre has its thing. Songs are often, if not usually, about something specific and structured accordingly. While every song is – in different ways – about the human experience, the tones, styles, and methods are different.
During War, He Makes Art: Painter Antonio Mcilwaine Creates, Curates, and Advocates
Sharpism artist and UHHM Donor Antonio Mcilwaine on his art’s origin: “One of the reasons I chose to become a visual artist is I was paid to make something that came easily to me. I could always create the product. Always.” The product was the portrait. He enjoyed it. Using different techniques. Telling a story. And when he finished, he could look at the portrait and say, “I created this.”
How it Began Continues to Inspire: Stanley L Jackson’s Mural is 80s Hip Hop
“Caricaturing allows me the opportunity to capture a subject’s unique characteristics in a fun way. In today’s society, we focus on being politically correct or perfect; this type of artwork allows me to step outside of the box.”
Layers of Hip Hop: Fine Artist Borbay Donates Two of His Collage-Style Pieces to the THHM
“The reason that Hip Hop culture struck me when it did is because it’s about inclusivity and different people expressing themselves in different ways – art, sound, dance. To be involved in this was part of my foundation. To share my art with an establishment that is dedicated completely to this inclusivity and people’s various artistic expressions was my responsibility and my honor.”
Old & New, Past & Present in Art and Hip Hop: How Dan “The Signtologist” Ericson Reinvents & Repurposes
“Coming from an analogue upbringing, I appreciate the tools that aren’t digitized. Example: I can go to the library and find a book about something I could also read online. And I choose to go to the library because that’s one way I can really turn things on by turning something off.”
Documenting Hip Hop History: From the Broom to the Ceiling, Taylor Golonka Documents Michael Chambers’s Contributions to the Culture
Whether or not you have seen “Breakin’” or “Breakin’ 2,” you have seen Michael Chambers, who began his career as a dancer when he was 16 with the stage name Boogaloo Shrimp.
