VA — Smithsonian Anthology of Hip-Hop and Rap (2021)

The Smithsonian Anthology of Hip-Hop and Rap is a first-of-its-kind muldia collection chronicling the growth of the music and culture from the parks of the Bronx to solidifying a reach that spans the globe. The set includes 129 tracks on 9 CDs and a 300-page book with original design by Cey Adams, artist and founding creative director of Def Jam Recordings, as well as essays by some of hip-hop\’s leading writers and critics and hundreds of photographs spanning decades of history. Through the music, writing, and extensive liner notes, the Anthology reveals the many trends within this multifaceted genre, its social and political implications, and its influence on popular culture.

The Anthology is the third major compendium produced by Smithsonian Folkways Recordings that tells the story of a defining era of music \»of, by, and for the people,\» following the Anthology of American Folk Music and Jazz: The Smithsonian Anthology. It frequently highlights the objects and stories of hip-hop displayed in the National Museum of African American History and Culture galleries, offering perspective on the African American experience and its impact on American culture. Curation of the Anthology was headed by a committee including rappers Chuck D and MC Lyte; writers and scholars Jeff Chang and Mark Anthony Neal; early Def Jam senior executives-turned-cultural-advisors Bill Adler and Bill Stephney; artist and writer Questlove; and producer and educator 9th Wonder.

This release is a collaboration between the Smithsonian\’s National Museum of African American History and Culture and Smithsonian Folkways Recordings

Disc 1

Fatback — King Tim III

Sugarhill Gang — Rapper\’s Delight

The Sequence — Funk You Up

Kurtis Blow — The Breaks

Funky Four +1 — That\’s the Joint

Spoonie Gee feat. The Sequence — Monster Jam

Treacherous Three — The Body Rock

Blondie — Rapture

Grandmaster Flash — The Adventures of Grandmaster Flash on the Wheels of Steel

Afrika Bambaataa & The Soulsonic Force — Planet Rock

Disc 2

Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five — The Message

The Fearless Four — Rockin It

Cold Crush Brothers — Punk Rock Rap

Herbie Hancock — Rockit

Afrika Bambaataa & The Soulsonic Force — Looking for the Perfect Beat

Run-DMC — It\’s Like That

Whodini — Friends

Cold Crush Brothers — Fresh, Fly, Wild & Bold

T. La Rock — It\’s Yours

The World\’s Famous Supreme Team — Hey! DJ

Newcleus — Jam On It

UTFO — Roxanne, Roxanne

Disc 3

Roxanne Shanté — Roxanne\’s Revenge

Fat Boys — Fat Boys

Doug E. Fresh & MC Ricky D — La Di Da Di

LL Cool J — I Can\’t Live without my Radio

Schoolly D — P.S.K. \’What Does It Mean\’

Run-DMC feat. Aerosmith — Walk This Way

Beastie Boys — Paul Revere

Ultramagnetic MC\’s — Ego Tripping

Ice-T — 6 \’N The Mornin\’

Kool Moe Dee — How Ya Like Me Now

LL Cool J — I Need Love

Eric B feat. Rakim — Eric B is President

Mantronix — King of The Beats

Disc 4

Stetsasonic feat. the Rev. Jesse Jackson & Olatunji — A.F.R.I.C.A.

Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince — Parents Just Don\’t Understand

Audio Two — Top Billin\’

MC Lyte — Lyte As A Rock

Big Daddy Kane — Raw

Marley Marl feat. Master Ace, Craig G, Kool G Rap, & Big Daddy Kane — The Symphony

MC Lyte — I Cram to Understand U (Sam)

Tone Lōc — Wild Thing

Rob Base & DJ E-Z Rock — It Takes Two

Jungle Brothers — I\’ll House You

N.W.A. — Fuck Tha Police

Public Enemy — Fight the Power

The Stop the Violence Movement — Self Destruction

Too Short — Life Is…Too Short

Slick Rick — Children\’s Story

3rd Bass — The Gas Face

Disc 5

Queen Latifah feat. Monie Love — Ladies First

Public Enemy — Bring the Noise

De La Soul — Me Myself and I

Biz Markie — Just a Friend

The D.O.C. — It\’s Funky Enough

2 Live Crew — Me So Horny

Digital Underground — The Humpty Dance

MC Hammer — U Can\’t Touch This

Vanilla Ice — Ice Ice Baby

Brand Nubian — All for One

Geto Boys — Mind Playing Tricks on Me

A Tribe Called Quest — Scenario

Black Sheep — The Choice is Yours

Salt-N-Pepa — Let\’s Talk About Sex

Yo-Yo feat. Ice-Cube — Can\’t Play with My Yo-Yo

Naughty By Nature — O.P.P.

Disc 6

Dr. Dre feat. Snoop Doggy Dogg — Nuthin\’ But a \’G\’ Thang

Ice Cube — It Was a Good Day

Sir Mix-A-Lot — Baby Got Back

Arrested Development — Tennessee

Digable Planets — Rebirth of Slick (Cool Like Dat)

House of Pain — Jump Around

Positive K — I Got a Man

Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth — They Risce Over You (T.R.O.Y.)

UGK — Pocket Full of Stones

Wu-Tang Clan — C.R.E.A.M.

Cypress Hill — Insane In The Brain

The Pharcyde — Passin\’ Me By

Eightball & MJG — Comin Out Hard

Common Sense — I Used to Love H.E.R.

Da Brat — Funkdafied

Nas — N.Y. State of Mind

Craig Mack feat. The Notorious B.I.G., Rampage, LL Cool J, Busta Rhymes — Flava In Your Ear

Disc 7

Beastie Boys — Sabotage

The Notorious B.I.G. — Juicy

Gang Starr feat. Nice & Smooth — DWYCK

Warren G feat. Nate Dogg — Regulate

Snoop Doggy Dogg — Murder Was The Case

E-40 feat. Suga T — Sprinkle Me

Goodie Mob — Cell Therapy

Coolio feat. L.V. — Gangsta\’s Paradise

2Pac — Dear Mama

Mobb Deep — Shook Ones, Part 2

Method Man feat. Mary J. Blige — I\’ll Be There For You / You\’re All I Need To Get By

Foxy Brown feat. Jay-Z — I\’ll Be

Lil Kim feat. Puff Daddy — No

Bone Thugs-N-Harmony — Tha Crossroads

Wu-Tang Clan feat. Cappadonna — Triumph

Busta Rhymes — Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Could See

Master P feat. Silkk The Shocker, Mia X, Fiend — Make \’Em Say Uhh!

Disc 8

Missy Elliot — The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)

Lauryn Hill — Doo Wop (That Thing)

DMX — Ruff Ryders\’ Anthem

The Roots — The Next Movement

Mos Def — Mathematics

BG — Bling Bling

dead prez — Hip Hop

em feat. Dido — Stan

OutKast — Ms. Jackson

Nelly — Country Grammar (Hot Shit)

Ludacris feat. Pharrell — Southern Hospitality

Nas — One Mic

50 Cent — In Da Club

Lil Jon & The East Side Boyz feat. Ying Yang Twins — Get Low

Disc 9

Talib Kweli — Black Girl Pain

Kanye West — Jesus Walks

Three 6 Mafia feat. Young Buck, Eightball & MJG — Stay Fly

Rick Ross — Hustlin\’

Lupe Fiasco feat. Nikki Jean — Hip-Hop Saved My Life

Young Jezzy feat. Nas — My President

David Banner feat. Chris Brown & Yung Joc — Get Like Me

Lil Wayne feat. Robin Thicke — Tie My Hands

Jay Electronica — Exhibit C

Nicki Minaj — Super Bass

Macklemore & Ryan Lewis feat. Wanz — Thrift Shop

J Cole feat. TLC — Crooked Smile

Kanye West — Blood On The Leaves

Drake — Started From the Bottom