September 23, 2015 – The Legacy of Hip Hop at the Museum of History and Industry (HOHAI) will run September 19, 2015 through May 1, 2016. This trip through NW hip hop history is a fun way for elder b-boys to take a walk down memory lane, and for the younger generation to learn about those that came before them.

It’s well worth the $14-$17 entry price to see some of the once-in-a-lifetime artifacts which include championship dance trophies won by Seattle’s own Massive Monkees, 30 years of cd’s, tapes, and records from iconic rappers and Dj’s such as the Emerald Street Boys, Sir Mixalot, B-Mello, DJ Mr. Supreme, Specs, and more.  Also on display are iconic jackets from Nastymix Records (the Seattle label founded by Mixalot and Nasty Nes), Macklemore, and Mecca wear.

The event features a “tag wall” (pen & paper) for visitors to “get up”, as well as a series of live performances from both established and up-and-coming artists (Dumi, Nya, Specs, and more).

Noticeably missing from the display is the contribution of Seattle’s first breakdance groups “the Emerald City Breakers” and “Seattle City Breakers” and their founding members Junior Alefaio and Carlos (Slamalotte) Barrientes; as well as multi-generational hip hop icons Dave (Pablo D) Narvaez, Rafael Contreras, Donald (Ziggy) Puaa, and Nathan (Sire One) Hivick.  However, even with these stars omitted the display is still very comprehensive in it’s presentation and has received very favorable reviews from many in the old school community.

Curators Jazmyn Scott (The Town Entertainment) and Aaron Walker-Loud (Big World Breaks) freely admit that there are major gaps in the exhibit and that the amount of hip hop history and artist contributions is just too big to include everyone; but they hope that the exhibit will at least shine a spotlight on some of the talent that has existed here for the past 30 years.

“It’s not even that it’s my (or our) version of the story. It is an attempt to put into historical context, something that has been widely overlooked for years. We have acknowledged from day one that there are gaps; there is no way to tell the entire story. With this, we hope to give a glimpse into SOME of the people, places and things that make up this very rich culture in our town. It is only a starting point. Maybe someone else will pick up the torch or support us in making it even more comprehensive.” ~ JS.

The program features an interactive exhibit with historic audio recordings, photography, artwork, and more.

For more information on NW Hip Hop including artists not featured in the MOHAI exhibit please visit the following link:

https://kingcountynews.org/2014/11/11/deepest-roots-30-years-of-hip-hop-in-seattle/