Hip Hop producer 9th Wonder has been dedicating his time to building a Hip Hop archive for Harvard’s library.
In 2016, 9th Wonder chose the first four albums to enter the archives as part of a project called “These Are The Breaks,” which he describes as “a collection of albums that are standard of the culture.”
This week, the Jay Z/J. Cole/Kendrick Lamar collaborator stopped by Harvard to see all four albums in their archived form: The Miseducation Of Lauryn Hill by Lauryn Hill, Nas’ Illmatic, A Tribe Called Quest’s The Low End Theory and Kendrick Lamar’s 2015 album To Pimp A Butterfly.
He shared an image of the albums to Instagram, which picked up a ton of attention.
(Definitely more than a similar one shared last March.)
9th Wonder, working under the direction of historians Henry Louis Gates and Marcy Morgan, is choosing 200 albums to “live forever in the Harvard Library.” The albums will be housed forever in one of the world’s most illustrious libraries “complete with liner notes and the vinyl that was used in the production of the album.”
Another album has already been chosen, 1988’s Lyte As A Rock by MC Lyte. The aim of the project is to preserve 200 Hip Hop albums for posterity. Updates can be found at the Hip Hop Archives website.
9th Wonder was named a fellow of the Ivy League university in 2012, and will play a huge role in deciding which Hip Hop albums are honored in the “These Are The Breaks” project.
Nas is a good choice, dope as fuck! Didn’t see any Jay-z get picked right away hehe!
King HOV will be added to the library soon, mark my words. And definitely will have more albums in there than broke ass Nas.
Rest assure drake won’t be in there*…LoutL*k.dot boyy*…..next up*supreme clientele*hip hop lives*
Now it’s time to wait on the reply of the biggest Jay-Z Stan of this site, the dude who can’t spell ‘respect’ right.
I can spell “respect” right, what?
Yeah, because he spelled it out right for you.
This article has nothing to do with jay z! Why is he being brought up?
“This week, the Jay Z/J. Cole/Kendrick Lamar collaborator” Any more questions?
Any Harvard student that listens to Nas is destined to drop out within a week and become broke and homeless like Nas himself. Add all of King HOV’s albums to the library, 9th, since, you know, you actually worked with the King.
I’ve never witnessed someone all over another man’s dick like this before. This is embarrassing, pull your pants up. “The King”?? Like seriously dude? Hov isn’t even top 5 DOA. Prolly not even Top 10. Anybody who ever listens to “Show me What You Got” and says that belongs with the classics deserves to die. Let’s be real.
“Show Me What You Got” is a classic, homie. The fact that you’re even mentioning it shows how timeless that song is. Do you hear how King HOV flows on that song? That beat? The hook? “I’m the Michael Jordan of recording”? C’mon, he spittin’ straight flames on that shit. But you’re a broke Nas stan, you wouldn’t understand.
Dude, you trolling. Admittedly, Reasonable Doubt and The Blueprint are classics. Black Album comes close, but the rest of his albums never come near that status. I mean, The Dynasty and In My Lifetime? Come on. There are easily 200 albums far more better than those two by Jigga.
Kendrick? Personally I wouldn’t vote for that especially this soon. UGK4LIFE riding dirty, biggie ready to die, Twista adrenaline rush, bone creeping on ah come up, outkast southernplayalistic, ice cube death certificate, wutang 36, Redman, face, geto boys, LL Cool J, rakim…. 200 albums that deserve it should get tough around 100ish, don’t think I’d add anyone that came out after 2000 really
GRODT, Blueprint, GKMC. Kendrick has 2 classics alrdy u cant just discount him because he came out in the last decade. that’s foolish.
Where is Eminem?
Fuck Eminem. He dissed Trump in “Campaign Speech”. He’s no longer in my library and in my life. You should do the same if you really support The Don.
All those albums are overrated. People are incredibly obsessed about music and musicians. It’s just music, homie. Listen to the shit and keep it moving. Fuck your top this and top that and could care less about what Harvard thinks.
Nas’s illmatic is a straight classic that still moves the crowd to this day.
Looking forward to seeing what others make the cut. Before anymore of you go and get your panties in a bunch, he’s only chosen 5 of 200. Still 195 spots left.
Huge news, I actually got the chills reading!!!
36 CHAMBERS >>>>
In My Lifetime Vol 1?
In My Lifetime Vol 2?
In My Lifetime Vol 3?
The Dynasty?
The Blueprint 2?
Kingdom Come?
American Gangster?
The Blueprint 3?
Manga Carta?
Ain’t none of these nowhere near classic.
Facts Homie.
Vol 2 is called “Hard Knock Life” and Vol 3 is called “The Life and Time’s of S. Carter”. And yes, all those albums are classics. King HOV can change his style each album and still sound dope. Nas is boring each album with one overrated album and no other classics. Facts only.
Nah man, those albums are never classics. And don’t come up now with them Nas comparisons everytime, that shit is weak. Judged only by classic standard status, those albums are not. “36 Chambers”, “Aquemini”, “Liquid Swords”, “The Chronic”, “Death Certificate”, “Only Built For Cuban Linx..”, “Midnight Marauders”, “The Infamous” “Madvillainy”, “A Bizarre Ride To The Pharcyde”, “My Dark Twisted Fantasy”…..
These can be considered classics. And that’s not only based on a matter of personal taste, but also their impact on music culture in general. And to be perfectly clear beforehand, impact has nothing do with sales.
A good list man, I would like to add some other artsist for consideration, Epmd, Diamond D, Dr Dre, little Brother, Run DMC, Pete Rock & CL Smooth…
That’s a weak argument. Nas has nothing to do with Gay-Z’s albums being trash
Lifestyles of da poor and dangerous, biggie ready to die, mobb deep infamous/hell on earth, clipse hell hath no fury, 50 cent grodt, Gza liquid swords, Raekwon obcl, wutang enter the 36 chambers
Tribes midnight mauraders is way better than the low ene theory. He needs to include Diamond D’s Stunts, blunts and hip hop album. Now that is a straight classic. Mobb Deeps infamous also needs to make the list too.
Wondering why these aren’t here “Straight Outta Compton”, “The Chronic”, “Curtain Call” and “Forest Hill Drive” i am sure there is a very good reason. But they should definitely be added at some point.