The Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History (NMAH) in Washington DC, US, is compiling a collection of hip-hop memorabilia, which it hopes will become a public exhibition.

The museum’s project – called Hip-Hop Won’t Stop: The Beat, The Rhymes, The Life – will trace hip-hop from its origins in the 1970s, as an expression of urban black and Latino youth culture, to its status today.

The museum plans to collect objects from all aspects of hip-hop arts and culture, including vinyl records, handwritten lyrics, boomboxes, clothing and costumes, videos and interviews, DJ equipment and microphones, personal correspondence, and posters and photos.

Brent Glass, director of the NMAH, said: “The NMAH is committed to telling the story of the American experience. And, with the significant contributions from the hip-hop community, we will be able to place hip-hop in the continuum of American history and present a comprehensive exhibition.”

Initial funding from Universal Music and support from Russell Simmons – chair of the Hip-Hop Summit Action Network – has allowed the museum to officially launch the project and begin the collecting process.

The museum will also host a number of public programmes and scholarly symposia to further explore the content.

Established in 1989, through an Act of Congress, the NMAH is an institution of living cultures dedicated to the life, languages, literature, history and arts of the native people of the western hemisphere. Details: www.americanhistory.si.edu

Photograph: Tour T-shirt contributed by Ice-T