Anyone who’s had a chance to visit Downtown Los Angeles’ Grammy Museum recently should understand how undeniably awesome their All Eyez On Me: The Writings Of Tupac Shakur exhibit is. Originally slated to close in late April after making an early February debut, the fourth-floor display is a time capsule for Hip Hop’s most controversial martyr. Fashions, notebooks and even small items like business cards feel like artifacts needed to be studied. Thankfully, All Eyez On Me: The Writings Of Tupac Shakur is still open to the public. At this point, the exhibit begs for more representation of Hip Hop’s greatest. With that in mind, here are ten picks for the next time decides to have another round with the culture.
Kanye West
Holding the record for most Grammys won by a single artist in terms of Hip Hop, Kanye West has already cemented himself as a legendary figure in music. For heaven’s sake, he’s earned a hefty twenty-one golden gramophones. There’s enough Yeezy memorabilia to make an exhibit about the Chicagoan more than worthy of one. Who doesn’t want to see the original MPC 2000 and ASR-10 used during his early production days? What about those shutter shades that were all the rage at one point in time? Considering his alleged bid for the 2020 presidential campaign, getting into the mind of Yeezus on an academic level is a must.
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Run DMC
Despite having an exhibit, Tupac never actually won the most coveted award in music. This most definitely opens the door for not only Hip Hop’s first group to get a Grammy nomination and go gold. Run, DMC and Jam Master Jay were the first trendsetters for the culture and the first artists to receive endorsements normally reserved for athletes. Getting a first hand look at those classic Adidas could be worth the price of admission alone.
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Eminem
15 Grammy wins in and Marshal Mathers is constantly making his presence known. There isn’t anyone on the list more worthy of the honor than Eminem. Checking out just one of probably hundreds of rhyme books would probably shut down the entire museum considering his rabid fanbase. Breaking barriers since dropping his Slim Shady LP debut, there are tons of items rap heads want to see on display.
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Lil Wayne
Whether some like to admit it or not, there isn’t a rapper today who hasn’t been influenced by Lil Wayne. And this goes for wherever one stands on the spectrum. The great thing about the possibilities of this exhibit mean watching the various eras of Weezy extending from early Cash Money to YMCMB.
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Drake
For those scratching their head, Drake could be considered the biggest rapper in the game for better or worse. Ironically, a few floors below Tupac’s exhibit lies The Taylor Swift Experience which does a great job of detailing the country pop star’s rise to music dominance. It’s surely a part of the Grammy Academy’s idea in pushing for detailed views on artists making waves today. With that in mind, why not October’s Very Own?
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OutKast
Big Boi and Andre 3000 formed one of the greatest groups in rap history through OutKast. Most importantly, the Atlanta duo is the only Hip Hop act to walk away with the most esteemed Album Of The Year though many would arguably add Lauryn Hill ( more on that later). While many within mainstream count Speakerboxx/The Love Below as their most notable, they won and earned nominations for their fourth album Stankonia. If this ever comes into fruition, a detailed model of Rico Wade’s basement would surely be a plus.
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Pharrell
Pharrell’s work as one-half of storied production duo The Neptunes is worth an exhibit in itself. However, the clear star of the Virginia-based collective has carved a nice lane for himself. Ten Grammys down the line and his profile as a solo artists is higher than ever thanks to the success of “Happy.” Alongside his musical genius, he’s become enough of a fashion icon within Hip Hop to really only rival Ye himself.
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N.W.A.
Similar to Tupac and Run-DMC, N.W.A. never received an award for their groundbreaking work. However, there is a segment near the All Eyez On Me: The Writings Of Tupac Shakur exhibit that features the Compton-based group’s impact on music. Considering the fact that Straight Outta Compton may be the biggest film release of the year, this would be the perfect way to display things that were left out of the feature length film.
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LL Cool J
Not only has LL Cool J managed to score two Grammy Awards, he’s also hosted the ceremony twice. Past his status as a crucial pioneer in Hip Hop, his run in Hollywood hasn’t been bad either. If the Grammy Academy can actually find the JVC RC-M90 featured on the Radio cover, consider the idea sold.
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Lauryn Hill
The sole female on the list, former member of The Fugees Lauryn Hill caused quite a stir when she decided to go solo. Of course, the end result would be her classic solo debut The Miseducation Of Lauryn Hill. And, the history books eventually placed her as the then record holder for most wins won in a night by a female. Doesn’t hurt that some dub it the first rap album to win Album Of The Year despite not making the nomination in the Best Rap Album category due to a technicality involving how much rapping consist of a rap album percentage wise. Greater insight should give more context to the controversial career of Ms. Hill.
