Cornell Hip Hop Collection

The Cornell Hip Hop Collection

The mission of the Cornell Hip Hop Collection (CHHC) is to collect the historical artifacts of Hip Hop culture, make them available to researchers, and preserve them for future generations. The Collection is open to the public—affiliation with Cornell University is not required to schedule a research visit.

Established in 2007, the CHHC contains more than 250,000 items across dozens of archival collections documenting the origins and evolution of Hip Hop culture. Housed in Cornell University Library’s Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections, the CHHC includes sound and video recordings, event flyers, photographs, books, magazines, manuscripts, artwork, press clippings, and much more. Together, these materials document the creative work and contributions of the DJs, MCs, dancers, writers, visual artists, photographers, filmmakers, and others who have shaped Hip Hop from its earliest years to the present.

Activities of the CHHC include:

  • Working with Hip Hop artists and other contributors to preserve their artifacts
  • Providing public access to the collection for research
  • Organizing programs that enable Hip Hop’s creators and contributors to share their stories with student and community audiences
  • Teaching students of all ages about Hip Hop’s origins and cultural influence through classes, lectures and presentations at Cornell and beyond

Please contact us (rareref@cornell.edu) to schedule a research visit, request a class presentation, inquire about the Collection, or discuss the sale or donation of archival materials.

Examples of archives in the Hip Hop Collection include those of:

  • MC Grandmaster Caz
  • DJ Afrika Bambaataa
  • Hip Hop photographer Joe Conzo Jr.
  • Hip Hop photographer Ernie Paniccioli
  • Filmmaker Charlie Ahearn (Wild Style 1983)
  • Journalist and Def Jam publicist Bill Adler
  • Dancer Richard “Crazy Legs” Colón
  • Dancer Jorge “Popmaster Fabel” Pabon
  • Flyer artist Buddy “The Flyer King” Esquire
  • “Breakbeat Lenny” Roberts (co-founder of Ultimate Breaks and Beats)
  • The IGTimes (a.k.a. The International Graffiti Times)
  • Graffiti artist Richie “SEEN” Mirando
  • DJ Bobbito Garcia
  • Recording and graffiti artist Tame One

If you’re looking for materials on a specific topic, you can search Cornell University Library’s catalog by keyword, title, or name.

For additional information, see our Digital Collections and FAQ pages.