Harlem Will Soon Be Home To A 20-Story Hip Hop Museum

The Hip Hop Hall of Fame won the rights to develop a multi-media complex.
Preliminary plans for the museum will begin in the coming months, with the start of phase one set to begin February 2018. Above, a rap and hip-hop exhibit at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland.
Preliminary plans for the museum will begin in the coming months, with the start of phase one set to begin February 2018. Above, a rap and hip-hop exhibit at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland.
John Gress via Getty Images

Earlier this month, the Hip Hop Hall of Fame Museum won a bid to acquire a Harlem building and development site for a new state-of-the-art facility that will “preserve, archive, exhibit, educate, and showcase hip-hop Music and culture from around the world.”

Phase one, which is set to begin in February 2018, of the museum’s development plan will include, among other things, a multimedia film production studio and a television content production center for students “that will be training for careers in tech and media, while producing real-life content for the museum, and the hip hop television channel network,” the museum’s founder, JT Thompson, said in a release.

Eventually the 20-story building will include 5-star hotel, retail mall, an arcade, restaurant and concert lounge. The organization has also launched a $150 million fundraising campaign to help complete funding for the entertainment complex.

Last year, Thompson ― who’s also an Army veteran ― told the New York Post that the museum’s progress has been a “labor of love.”

“Hip hop is about empowering yourself, moving beyond the music,” he said. “The HHHOF and I have a duty and responsibility to preserve this rich history of music and culture. [You need to] pull yourself up by your bootstraps to pursue your dreams.”

“This has been a labor of love. It’s had its valleys, mountains, peaks and falloffs. In the Army, I had leaders, mentors and brothers like teammates working to achieve something special. In life and in business, be disciplined and finish strong without quitting.”

For more info on the development of the Hip Hop Hall of Fame Museum, please visit the museum’s website.

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