The National Museum of Hip Hop is facing a feud with pioneers of the culture. While the organizers want to honor the history of Hip Hop, some pioneers are saying that the museum is “illegitimate,” according to the Wall Street Journal.

Many of Hip Hop’s pioneers have been involved with the museum as advisers, but they also want to get paid for their personal accounts and more. While the museum has not been opened yet, it seems it will not get support from some pioneers due to these differences.

In April, a gala was held at Manhattan’s Pink Elephant club. Some of the culture’s trailblazers claimed they were not invited while Craig Wilson, a Bronx native who is leading the museum’s efforts, said that they were invited but that they asked for celebrity treatment and last minute meetings. In the end, many boycotted the Pink Elephant event, an act that has put a strain on the relationship between pioneers and the museum. 

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KRS-One shed some light on this.

“They deserve to get paid. This wouldn’t be a gift. More like an honorarium for scholars…This dude (Wilson) is arguing with the gods!”

Wilson says that it shouldn’t be about money.

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“We’re doing this for the culture. Period. Not for one specific group, or the pioneers. It’s up to them whether they want to be down with it or not.”

Late in April, about 40 rappers and veterans met at S.O.B.’s in New York. Now, they have formed The Universal Federation for Preservation of Hip Hop Culture to generate funds for pioneers. The Federation also plans on licensing collective memorabilia more to museums to make money.