Hip Hop Hall Of Fame Scheduled To Open In 2017

It's official: The Hip Hop Hall Of Fame Museum will be headed to New York City, specifically Midtown and Harlem in 2017. The long awaited project that had was originally envisioned in 1992, is expected to break ground early next year with the hope of opening its doors to the public in 2017 (via Complex). The project will focus on the history of hip-hop and those who helped build it to the popular genre that is has become today. It will also acknowledge the genre's current stars and the current level of success hip hop has achieved in popular culture.

It will contains donated memorabilia such as jackets, posters and equipments from artists like Salt-N-Pepa, Run DMC, Common, Grandmaster Flash, Afrika Bambaataa, Ice Cube and Eminem.

Museum entertainment committee organizer and former producer of BET's "Hip Hop Hall of Fame Awards Show," JT Thompson, says "This will be the home of hip hop history" (via NY Daily News).

The Harlem site will be on 125th and include a 12,000 square-foot museum space, shops, a TV studio and a coffee and juice bar. It will also serve 50 children annually through its youth media program.

The midtown center will be located close to Times Square will have similar features in a 50,000-square-foot space. In addition, the midtown space will have 90-minute tours and an interactive exhibit for fans.

The total project cost nearly $80 million and $50 million has been raised so far through crowdfunding.

The original project was conceived in 1992, but after Tupac Shakur was shot and killed in 1996, the idea was put on hold.

Thompson spoke on the goal of the Museum, "People need to understand the importance of hip hop, the elements, the DJs, the B-boys and B-girls and the graffiti writers."