NAS News By Stacey J. **HARLEM, NY (Hotwire News) - What an amazing way to honor the culture by putting the museum in a city so full of rich black history. It’s so funny to look back in retrospect and realize just how many people thought that hip-hop would be just a passing fad that would never last. Yet here we are 40 years later, and hip-hop is not only the biggest-selling musical genre of all, but now there is a 20-story museum set to open to honor its legacy. Classic hip-hop is bigger than ever these days, from film/TV adaptations about it and commercials using it in ads, to millennials embracing an era that they might not remember. Hip-hop is bigger than the music, it’s about the culture and that’s exactly what the future 20-story hip-hop museum in Harlem, New York aims to put only display for all to see. As reported by the Huffington Post, the Hip-Hop Hall of Fame is in the early stages of bringing a massive, state-of-the-art facility to Harlem to outline the legacy of hip-hop for admirers from around the world to enjoy. Details about the 20-story hip-hop museum are below: The Hip-Hop Hall of Fame Museum won a bid to acquire a Harlem building and development site for a new state-of-the-art facility that will “preserve, archive, exhibit, educate, and showcase hip-hop Music and culture from around the world.” Phase one, which is set to begin in February 2018, of the museum’s development plan will include, among other things, a multimedia film production studio and a television content production center for students “that will be training for careers in tech and media, while producing real-life content for the museum, and the hip hop television channel network,” the museum’s founder, JT Thompson, said in a release. If that wasn’t enough to get hip-hop fans excited to check out the future historical landmark, there are also plans to include a 5-star hotel, retail mall, arcade, restaurant and concert lounge inside the 20-story development. There has also been a $150 million fundraising campaign launched to help complete the museum’s funding. Speaking about the museum as a personal passion project, Thompson said, “Hip hop is about empowering yourself, moving beyond the music. The HHHOF and I have a duty and responsibility to preserve this rich history of music and culture. [You need to] pull yourself up by your bootstraps to pursue your dreams. This has been a labor of love. It’s had its valleys, mountains, peaks and falloffs.”

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