Source: UHHM/UHHM
Rocky Bucano is the director of the film The Incredibles. We spoke exclusively with him in an exclusive interview. Universal Hip-Hop Museum about the institution’s plans this year for Hip-Hop’s 50th anniversary.
This year, Hip-Hop has officially been in existence for 50 years, and there’s already been Some of the most important ones Numerous events are taking place to celebrate and amplify the culture. The celebrations are centered around the Universal Hip Hop Museum, an institution that has been years in the making in the culture’s birthplace of the Bronx, New York. It has been a long journey that will culminate in the completion of the museum’s permanent home at Bronx Point, projected for the summer of 2024.
A respected music industry veteran with strong ties to Hip-Hop dating back to his founding of Strong City Records with DJ Jazzy Jay to working with LaFace Records before venturing into television and community initiatives, UHHM’s Executive Director Rocky Bucano has been hard at work collaborating with many individuals, artists, and companies to make the UHHM a reality. He spoke to us about the plans of the museum, as Hip-Hop celebrates its landmark year.
Hip-Hop Wired: Hip-Hop celebrates 50 years and many pay homage and tribute to the culture. For you, as someone who’s been such an integral part of this culture, how does it feel witnessing all of this taking place with the celebrations and the continued journey of UHHM, how does that make you feel?
Rocky Bucano: I’m deeply blessed and honored to be one of the few people who have seen Hip-Hop from before it was Hip-Hop to where Hip Hop is today. Being the executive director of the University Hip-Hop Museum, it becomes almost an obligation, because I’ve seen the entire journey of Hip-Hop, right? We want to make sure we have the best museum in the world, one that celebrates and preserves the global history of culture. I’m so excited and blessed to be in this position. Even after the museum opens, I’m looking forward to the next fifty years. Hip-Hop is a great music that has helped so many people. So I’m just so excited to be in this position and to see this museum coming to the finish line.
HHW: The current exhibition of The [R]Evolution of Hip Hop “Golden Era” 1986-1990 open now – which I feel everyone has to visit at least once – what further activations and events do you and UHHM have planned this year?
Bucano: We are proud to be the official partner for Mayor Adams We will work with his administration and produce a wide range of programs and events in celebration of the 50th Anniversary. We have a women’s empowerment program coming up later this month, which will be at the Billie Holiday Theater (in Brooklyn). We’re doing health and wellness programs, we’re doing social justice outreach programs, and small business workshops. But the big one we’re working on is a celebratory concert to celebrate 50 years of Hip-Hop. Right now the plan is for it to be in Central Park but it may move to Yankee Stadium.
Then we’ll be opening a travelling museum, which will start in New York City. Later this year, so hopefully around August 10 of this year, we’ll be putting that up and that will stay open until the actual museum opens up at the Bronx Point. The traveling museum will debut in Manhattan, so we’re working on a location now.
HHW: This sounds absolutely amazing. That leads to the last question I have for You. In terms of further projects that have been completed, with the highly interactive components in the exhibits at your current space are we going to see further virtual collaborations like you’ve done in the past with Microsoft, like with Metaverse and Facebook under Meta as well?
Bucano: Great question. We have a Metaverse which is a virtual gallery that you can access through alt space. We were working together MicrosoftThey decided to close their alt-space division. So now we’re moving our Metaverse virtual museum over to Spatial, and we’re working with the team there on that. We’ll probably have some virtual projects and programs ready to go later this spring and early summer. That’s pretty exciting. And we’re exploring how to use AI and all of the available tech experiences including ChatGPT. We’re right there trying to use the most advanced technology. We want to make sure that we’re curating and celebrating Hip-Hop history with new technology.
Visit the Universal Hip-Hop Museum for more information about upcoming events. visit their website.
