The Universal Hip Hop Museum in New York takes its shape broadly with the completion of the Bronx building's structure.
The museum, set to open in 2024 and housing around 550 flats in the same building, plans to pay tribute to the genre that music historians say can be traced back to the surrounding music scene of the Bronx in the 1970s.
The breakthrough came when New York musicians like DJ Kool Herc began playing instrumental sections between vocals on vinyl records, and then adding spoken word vocals on top.
Half a century after its origins in the Bronx, Hip Hop, one of the most widespread musical styles of all, is set to be celebrated in its various facets in the planned museum.
"This is another milestone for Hip Hop," museum director Rocky Bucano said at the ceremony on May 25, which comes after stars like Nas, LL Cool J and Grandmaster Flash last year laid the foundation stone for the building. The construction of the exhibition hall is set to cost around $80 million.
Former borough president Ruben Diaz said the Hip Hop museum belonged here in the Bronx. "If you love Hip Hop, this must be a dream come true."
The Universal Hip Hop Museum says its curators are currently processing some 30,000 objects, from artist badges and cassette tapes to street art and photos, set to go on display at the museum.
