The ‘Smithsonian Anthology Of Hip-Hop and Rap’ To Release 129-Song Compilation

The ‘Smithsonian Anthology Of Hip-Hop and Rap’ To Release 129-Song Compilation


The Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) has announced that it has partnered with Smithsonian Folkways Recordings to produce the Smithsonian Anthology of Hip-Hop and Rap. The eclectic project will be released later this summer on Aug. 20.

The collection of hip-hop artistry will chronicle hip-hop’s rise from the Bronx to the broadest areas of the American experience and worldwide influence.

“Born in the Bronx and raised across the American West and South, hip-hop is one of the most influential genres of music in the modern era,” said Kevin Young, the Andrew W. Mellon Director of NMAAHC in a written statement. “Through beats, dynamic rhymes, and pointed lyricism, hip-hop has provided a platform for communities and generations to voice their ongoing struggles and has changed society and culture around the world.”

The anthology will feature hundreds of pictures that span decades of hip-hop history. It was designed by the founding creative director of Def Jam, artist Cey Adams.

“We wanted the Smithsonian Anthology of Hip-Hop and Rap to be reflective of the culture, of the music, of the people, of everything that is part of hip-hop,” said Dwandalyn R. Reece, NMAAHC’s associate director for curatorial affairs, curator of music and performing arts and producer of the anthology.

The project was produced over seven years as the work began in 2014 from an executive committee composed of some major figures in the music and culture of hip-hop, including rappers Chuck D and MC Lyte; writers and scholars Adam Bradley, Jeff Chang, Cheryl Keyes, and Mark Anthony Neal; early Def Jam senior executives-turned-cultural advisers Bill Adler and Bill Stephney; artist and writer Questlove; and producer and educator 9th Wonder. Other advisers were assembled with equal representation from all facets of hip-hop culture.

As listed on its website, “A first-of-its-kind collector’s item, the Anthology captures hip-hop’s evolution from its earliest days in the late ’70s to today’s contemporary artists (1979-2013). It features 9 CDs with 129 tracks, and a 300-page, coffee-table book with 11 essays and never-before-seen photographs and designs by Cey Adams, artist and founding creative director of Def Jam.”

The anthology can be pre-ordered here.

Disc 1 (1979-1982):

  • Fatback – King Tim III
  • Sugarhill Gang – Rapper’s Delight
  • The Sequence – Funk You Up
  • Kurtis Blow – The Breaks
  • Funky Four +1 – That’s the Joint
  • Spoonie Gee feat. The Sequence – Monster Jam
  • Treacherous Three – The Body Rock
  • Blondie – Rapture
  • Grandmaster Flash – The Adventures of Grandmaster Flash on the Wheels of Steel
  • Afrika Bambaataa & The Soulsonic Force – Planet Rock

Disc 2 (1982-1984):

  • Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five – The Message
  • The Fearless Four – Rockin It
  • Cold Crush Brothers – Punk Rock Rap
  • Herbie Hancock – Rockit
  • Afrika Bambaataa & The Soulsonic Force – Looking for the Perfect Beat
  • Run-DMC – It’s Like That
  • Whodini – Friends
  • Cold Crush Brothers – Fresh, Fly, Wild & Bold
  • T. La Rock – It’s Yours
  • The World’s Famous Supreme Team – Hey! DJ
  • Newcleus – Jam On It
  • UTFO – Roxanne, Roxanne

Disc 3 (1984-1987):

  • Roxanne Shanté – Roxanne’s Revenge
  • Fat Boys – Fat Boys
  • Doug E. Fresh & MC Ricky D – La Di Da Di
  • LL Cool J – I Can’t Live without my Radio
  • Schoolly D – P.S.K. ‘What Does It Mean?’
  • Run-DMC feat. Aerosmith – Walk This Way
  • Beastie Boys – Paul Revere
  • Ultramagnetic MC’s – Ego Tripping
  • Ice-T – 6 ‘N The Mornin’
  • Kool Moe Dee – How Ya Like Me Now
  • LL Cool J – I Need Love
  • Eric B feat. Rakim – Eric B is President
  • Mantronix – King of The Beats

Disc 4 (1987-1989):

  • Stetsasonic feat. the Rev. Jesse Jackson & Olatunji – A.F.R.I.C.A.
  • Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince – Parents Just Don’t Understand
  • Audio Two – Top Billin’
  • MC Lyte – Lyte As A Rock
  • Big Daddy Kane – Raw
  • Marley Marl feat. Master Ace, Craig G, Kool G Rap, & Big Daddy Kane – The Symphony
  • MC Lyte – I Cram to Understand U (Sam)
  • Tone Lōc – Wild Thing
  • Rob Base & DJ E-Z Rock – It Takes Two
  • Jungle Brothers – I’ll House You
  • N.W.A. – F–k Tha Police
  • Public Enemy – Fight the Power
  • The Stop the Violence Movement – Self Destruction
  • Too Short – Life Is…Too Short
  • Slick Rick – Children’s Story
  • 3rd Bass – The Gas Face

Disc 5 (1989-1991):

  • Queen Latifah feat. Monie Love – Ladies First
  • Public Enemy – Bring the Noise
  • De La Soul – Me Myself and I
  • Biz Markie – Just a Friend
  • The D.O.C. – It’s Funky Enough
  • 2 Live Crew – Me So Horny
  • Digital Underground – The Humpty Dance
  • MC Hammer – U Can’t Touch This
  • Vanilla Ice – Ice Ice Baby
  • Brand Nubian – All for One
  • Geto Boys – Mind Playing Tricks on Me
  • A Tribe Called Quest – Scenario
  • Black Sheep – The Choice is Yours
  • Salt-N-Pepa – Let’s Talk About Sex
  • Yo-Yo feat. Ice-Cube – Can’t Play with My Yo-Yo
  • Naughty By Nature – O.P.P.

Disc 6 (1992-1994):

  • Dr. Dre feat. Snoop Doggy Dogg – Nuthin’ But a ‘G’ Thang
  • Ice Cube – It Was a Good Day
  • Sir Mix-A-Lot – Baby Got Back
  • Arrested Development – Tennessee
  • Digable Planets – Rebirth of Slick (Cool Like Dat)
  • House of Pain – Jump Around
  • Positive K – I Got a Man
  • Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth – They Reminisce Over You (T.R.O.Y.)
  • UGK – Pocket Full of Stones
  • Wu-Tang Clan – C.R.E.A.M.
  • Cypress Hill – Insane In The Brain
  • The Pharcyde – Passin’ Me By
  • Eightball & MJG – Comin Out Hard
  • Common Sense – I Used to Love H.E.R.
  • Da Brat – Funkdafied
  • Nas – N.Y. State of Mind
  • Craig Mack feat. The Notorious B.I.G., Rampage, LL Cool J, Busta Rhymes – Flava In Your Ear

Disc 7 (1994-1997):

  • Beastie Boys – Sabotage
  • The Notorious B.I.G. – Juicy
  • Gang Starr feat. Nice & Smooth – DWYCK
  • Warren G feat. Nate Dogg – Regulate
  • Snoop Doggy Dogg – Murder Was The Case
  • E-40 feat. Suga T – Sprinkle Me
  • Goodie Mob – Cell Therapy
  • Coolio feat. L.V.  – Gangsta’s Paradise
  • 2Pac – Dear Mama
  • Mobb Deep – Shook Ones, Part 2
  • Method Man feat. Mary J. Blige – I’ll Be There For You / You’re All I Need To Get By
  • Foxy Brown feat. Jay-Z – I’ll Be
  • Lil Kim feat. Puff Daddy – No Time
  • Bone Thugs-N-Harmony – Tha Crossroads
  • Wu-Tang Clan feat. Cappadonna – Triumph
  • Busta Rhymes – Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Could See
  • Master P feat. Silkk The Shocker, Mia X, Fiend – Make ‘Em Say Uhh!

Disc 8 (1997-2003):

  • Missy Elliot – The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)
  • Lauryn Hill – Doo Wop (That Thing)
  • DMX – Ruff Ryders’ Anthem
  • The Roots – The Next Movement
  • Mos Def – Mathematics
  • BG – Bling Bling
  • dead prez – Hip Hop
  • Eminem feat. Dido – Stan
  • OutKast – Ms. Jackson
  • Nelly – Country Grammar (Hot Shit)
  • Ludacris feat. Pharrell – Southern Hospitality
  • Nas – One Mic
  • 50 Cent – In Da Club
  • Lil Jon & The East Side Boyz feat. Ying Yang Twins – Get Low

Disc 9 (2004-2013):

  • Talib Kweli – Black Girl Pain
  • Kanye West – Jesus Walks
  • Three 6 Mafia feat. Young Buck, Eightball & MJG – Stay Fly
  • Rick Ross – Hustlin’
  • Lupe Fiasco feat. Nikki Jean – Hip-Hop Saved My Life
  • Young Jeezy feat. Nas – My President
  • David Banner feat. Chris Brown & Yung Joc – Get Like Me
  • Lil Wayne feat. Robin Thicke – Tie My Hands
  • Jay Electronica – Exhibit C
  • Nicki Minaj – Super Bass
  • Macklemore & Ryan Lewis feat. Wanz – Thrift Shop
  • J. Cole feat. TLC – Crooked Smile
  • Kanye West – Blood On The Leaves
  • Drake – Started From the Bottom

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