Who We Are
Who We Are
The Hip Hop Museum was founded by Rocky Bucano and a group of iconic entrepreneurs and artists including Kurtis Blow, Grandwizzard Theodore, Grandmaster Melle Mel, Joe Conzo Jr., and many others. They joined forces to create the world’s first Hip Hop museum in the Bronx.
Meet Our Founding Members and Board of Trustees
Founding Members
Rocky Bucano, Business Owner and Entertainment Manager
Kurtis Blow, Recording Superstar
Shawn LG Thomas, Music Producer & Host of the Black Spin (Sirius XM)
Grandwizzard Theodore, Inventor of the Scratch
Mickey Bentson, Manager, Ice T
Joe Conzo Jr., Legendary Photographer
Grandmaster Melle Mel, Legendary MC
Board of Trustees
Nana Carmen Ashhurst, Chairwoman Emeritus
Kurtis Blow, Chairman Emeritus
Rocky Bucano, Executive Director
Adam Silverstein, Collector & Attorney
Peter Bittenbender, CEO, Mass Appeal
Bruce Jackson, Associate General Counsel, Microsoft
Ruben Diaz Jr., The 13th Bronx Borough President
Faith Newman, EVP A&R and Catalog Development, Reservoir Media Management
Charlane Brown, Attorney
Lu-Shawn M. Thompson, Entrepreneur
Sissi Johnson, Academic and Entrepreneur
Meet Our Staff
Executive Team
Rocky Bucano, Executive Director
SenYon Kelly, Operations Manager
Donna Davis, Director of Development
Renee Foster, Director of Communications
Rubenstein Public Relations
Lance Pope, Membership Manager
Michael Ford, Architect Design Manager
David Miller (Proskauer Rose, LLP)
Candace Nepal (PPMT Strategic Group)
Daniel Stewart (Kramer Levin, LLP)
Curatorial Team
Adam Silverstein, Director of Archives and Collections
Paradise Gray, Chief Curator
Prime Minister Pete Nice, Co-Curator
SenYon Kelly, Co-Curator
Jorge “PopMaster Fabel” Pabon, Curator of Fashion and Artist-In-Residence
Elai Tubo, Curator of Sound
Shawn LG Thomas, Curator of Music Programming
Mark Green, Chair of Artist Relations
Marketing and Content
Asya Blue, Art Direction and Design
Kylerr Bucano, Social Media Manager
Tramp Daly, Merchandise and Licensing
Pamela French, Documentarian and Content Producer
Kate Harvie, Contributing Writer and Outreach
Meet Our Advisors
THHM Advisory Board
Edward Young, Senior Advisor
Robert Reid, Senior Advisor
Harry Allen, Journalist
Mandy Aragones, Artist Management
Dallas Austin, Musician, Songwriter, & Producer
Will Billings, Financial Executive
Martin Caba
Orrin Campbell, Artist/Crypto Advisor
Mike Carnevale, Technology Futurist at CARNEVALE
Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis – President, Black Press of America
Vivian Scott Chew, Music Executive
Michael A. Dean
Martha Diaz, Hip Hop Education Center
Skip Dillard, Radio Executive
Nicole Duncan-Smith, Hip Hop Editor, Journalist/Author, & Media Maven
A. Mignon Espy
Christian Gordon, Asst. Dean of Development, UC Berkeley
Frederik “Torch” Hahn, German Hip Hop Legend
Marq Hawkins, West Coast Hip Hop Legend
Miguel Herrera, Polymath: Data Science/Talent Management
Michael Holman, Historian
James Jenkins, Music & Film Executive
Tracey J. Jordan, Music Executive & Television Producer
Neil Levine, Entertainment Executive, THHM Senior Advisor Music Label Relations
David Lipsey, Digital Asset Management
Ralph McDaniels, Video Music Box
Jennifer R. McZier, Arts Consultant
Adrian L. Miller, Managing Partner/Executive Producer, Xyion Inc.
Minister Server, Hip Hop Cultural Strategist
Thembisa Mshaka, Author & Filmmaker
Michael Münzer, Apeiron Visuals
Eric Orr, Fine Artist / Creator Of The First Hip Hop Comic Book
John Payne
Jeff Pucillo, TELL-IGNITE
Dale ‘Rage’ Resteghini, Film & Music Video Director, Writer, Producer
Richard Rubenstein, Rubenstein Public Relations
Troy Shelton, Gryscl Entertainment
Christopher Surrey, Marketing & Creative Strategy Executive
Dedra N. Tate, Entertainment Executive
Brett Volker
Rachel Weingeist
Jarrod Whitaker
Lavall Chichester, Founder and CEO of Growth Skills, Urban Income and Flavor Fix – Growth Marketing
Meet our Cultural Ambassadors
Awesome Two, Teddy Ted, & Special K
Big Daddy Kane
Bevi Smith
Chuck D
Crash
Christopher “Play” Martin
DJ Battlecat
DJ EFN
DJ Silky D
DJ Spark
D-Nice
Doug E. Fresh
DJ Hollywood
Ebro Darden
Groovy Lew
Heather B
Ice T
Kaos
King Tee
Kwame Holland
Krayzie Bone
Kool Herc
Lady B
Lisa Lee
LL Cool J
Lisa Lee
MC Lyte
Mr. Biggs
Mumu Fresh
Musiq Soulchild
Nas
Niki D
Rah Deluxe
Rakim
Reggie Reg
Rob Love
Rodney C
Roxanne Shanté
Sha-Rock
Shani Kulture
Sheena Lester
Slick Rick
Spoonie Gee
Sway Calloway
Tats Cru
The Sequence
Toni Blackman
Tony Tone
Tramp Daly
Van Silk
Tony “Mr. Wave” Wesley
Troy “Smack White” Mitchell
Yo Yo
POSTHUMOUS
Gary Harris
Lovebug Starski
Larry Smith
Statement Regarding The THHM
The Hip Hop Museum (THHM) is making this statement to clarify the use of the adjective “universal” in its name. As used in the organization’s name, The Hip Hop Museum, “Universal” refers to the recognition of the global impact, the ethnically and culturally diverse nature, and the impact of Hip Hop over the past almost 50 years since its inception. The Hip Hop Museum has no corporate or organizational relationships with any organizations with “Universal” in their names. The THHM is a recognized 501(c)(3) organization and has no corporate or organizational relationships with Universal Records, Universal Pictures, the Universal Zulu Nation, or any other such named organization.
