Join us Friday, April 19 as we celebrate the launch of the William & Mary Hip Hop Collection! This collection documents Virginia’s hip hop past and present through oral histories, musical recordings, publications and artifacts.
The launch event will be held at Swem Library from 6-10 p.m. in the Read & Relax area. It will include hip hop-related film screenings, panel discussions with the filmmakers and local hip hop artists, entertainment by DJ Wyze and refreshments. The event is free and open to the public.
Established by Swem Library’s Special Collections Research Center, the W&M Hip Hop Collection is the most comprehensive collection of its kind dedicated to Virginia hip hop culture and history from the 1980s to the present.
In addition to preserving Virginia’s hip hop past, the collection documents the origins and impact of hip-hop culture on college campuses throughout the state by collecting records of hip hop-based student organizations, college radio stations, events and concerts with a special focus on William & Mary.
The launch event is co-sponsored by Africana Studies and the Mellon Grant for Global Studies, Literary & Cultural Studies, Film Studies, American Studies, Department of History and Department of Music.
For more information, contact Swem’s Special Collections at 757-221-3094 or spcoll@wm.edu or follow us on Twitter @HipHopWM or @SwemLibrary.