Williamsburg hip hop duo Hudson and Guam, aka Chad Hudson and Chris Santos, recently donated $2,500 to create the W&M Hip Hop Collection Fund, which will support Swem Library's hip collection collection housed in its Special Collections Research Center. The duo presented the donation to Dean of University Libraries Carrie Cooper; Kevin Kosonavich, the collection's curator; and Director of Special Collections Jay Gaidmore.
"The generous donation is a milestone for Swem," said Cooper.
"We believe strongly in the collection," said Santos. "There are a lot of people in this area growing this movement, and it's generating interest in the local community. This is a prime opportunity for William & Mary to be part of hip hop history."
Hudson and Guam first discovered the Hip Hop Collection in April 2014 when they heard about Swem's second annual hip hop event and showed up expressing interest in becoming more involved. They are now dedicated to helping the collection grow, and to making hip hop more mainstream in Williamsburg.
Since April, Hudson and Guam have been hosting an event called Mic Hog, an open mic competition, in different locations around Williamsburg and Newport News. The event is getting so big they now hold auditions to participate.
"People from New York and Michigan are coming to perform," Hudson said. They are also in the process of putting together a radio show with W&M Radio.
Hudson and Guam can be found online at www.hsient.com, and on social media at hudsonandguam. The W&M Hip Hop Collection is dedicated to Virginia's hip hop culture and history. The collection contains more than 600 items including oral histories committed to documenting Virginia's hip hop past, as well as recordings of hip hop music, publications, and materials created by Virginia and Virginia-based artists, groups, and businesses. Additionally, the collection documents the origins and impact of hip hop culture on college campuses throughout the state.