New interactive hip-hop museum may be coming to Memphis soon

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The City of Memphis known worldwide for its impact on hip-hop music could soon be home to a museum celebrating its artists and culture.

Shelby County Commissioner Mickell Lowery is pushing the development of what’s being called an innovative and interactive museum for the Bluff City.

When it comes to hip-hop culture, Memphis is globally known for being home to superstars such as “Three Six Mafia,” Al Kapone, Yo Gotti, Glorilla, the late Young Dolph, the movie Hustle & Flow, and dancer and actor “Lil Buck”, just to name a few.

“When it comes to the culture of Memphis from the dance, the Jookin’. It’s worldwide. Like you said, the arts are amazing,” said Al Kapone/Memphis hip-hop icon/recording artist.

Shelby County Commissioner Lowery, an admitted hip-hop fan, says this unique style of Memphis music both old school and new school deserves its own home in the form of a new Memphis hip-hop museum.

“I’m a hip-hop head. It’s influenced a big part of my life,” Lowery said. “I just believe if we don’t tell our story someone else is going to take credit for it, but the amount of influence that those artists and artists that started in Memphis had on hip-hop. But let’s not even think of hip-hop, think about Stax. Think about the blues. All those things that have a baseline in Memphis that really birthed the genre of hip-hop.”

It seems the Shelby County Commission may be feeling the hustle and flow, if you will, of the proposal. It’s already looking at a feasibility study about the concept and cost of a state-of-the-art interactive museum.

“You want people to keep coming back,” he said. “So, it has to be interactive. How can you immerse yourself in the music? How can you go see how to make your own music and video? How can you learn about all aspects of the genre, but celebrate those artists as well?”

Memphis Rap Icon and Critics Choice Award winner, Al Kapone, is known for the “Hustle and Flow” theme song “Whoop That Trick”.

“This is something that needs to be done because what we’re doing in this field is worldwide and has been influential to the music industry,” Kapone said.

Kapone is also a music consultant with the Memphis and Shelby County Film and TV Commission.

“The new generation has taken it to another level, and it’s very well warranted because our history runs so far back,” Kapone said. “So, we have more than enough [artists and history].”

Right now, the museum planners are exploring a possible location.

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“I’m not married to where it’s located,” Lowery said. “I just want to see it happen. As long as it’s in the best place for Memphis and Shelby County.

“The tourist attraction is already there worldwide. It’s there now. The place just needs to be, you know if you build, they will come, that simple,” Kapone said. “Let’s make it happen, mane. It’s coming from one of the pioneers of the Memphis Rap scene. It’s Al Kapone, Al Kapeezy, Oh Boy, Big Memphis, Mane!”

Trust Marketing of Memphis, along with AK Johnston, a California-based company with interactive experience, are working together to test the idea of the hip-hop museum in Memphis.

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