Smithsonian Announces New Rewards and Twitter Rap Battle To Meet Kickstarter Goal for "Smithsonian Anthology of Hip-Hop and Rap"

Artist Janette Beckman Donated Two Keith Haring Prints to the Kickstarter Campaign To Help Make the Smithsonian Anthology of Hip-Hop and Rap a Reality

With over 70 percent of the goal reached, the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture and Smithsonian Folkways Recordings have announced a new set of rewards, including two portraits of artist Keith Haring in conjunction with a Smithsonian Cypher (Twitter rap battle), to meet Kickstarter goals for the Smithsonian Anthology of Hip-Hop and Rap.

Smithsonian Cypher

At 11:30 a.m. Friday, Nov. 3, a number of museums will join the Twitterverse for a Smithsonian Cypher. What is a cypher? A rap freestyle where participants go back and forth or take turns on the mic. The public can follow #SmithsonianCypher and #HipHopHistory as participating museums engage and share rhymes about their history and exhibitions.

New Kickstarter Rewards

The Smithsonian has also announced a new set rewards in conjunction with the social media campaign that includes:

• Two prints, signed by photographer Janette Beckman, of street-artist Keith Haring, each bundled with a copy of the Anthology and other rewards at the $1,500 level. Beckman, whose photographs of hip-hop artists will be featured in the Anthology and are held in the collection of the National Museum of African American History and Culture, personally donated these prints to the Kickstarter campaign.

• Keith Haring (red) 1985, signed, limited-edition archival digital print, 15 by 17 inches
• Keith Haring (blue) 1985, signed, limited-edition archival digital print, 15 by 17 inches

• Two box-set bonus editions at the $300 level, offering backers the opportunity to get two copies of the Anthology and two sets of hip-hop trading cards, two subscriptions to Smithsonian magazine, two cling-on decals designed by Cey Adams and two digital copies of a 9th Wonder remix drawing from Smithsonian Folkways’ catalog
• A limited print by artist B.E. Johnson of alternate artwork for Public Enemy’s seminal album Fear of a Black Planet, autographed by the artist and by Chuck D, founder of Public Enemy, offered at $2,500

In addition, Smithsonian Folkways Recordings will give every backer who has pledged $100 or more a free digital-album download from the Folkways collection, if the Kickstarter campaign reaches $200,000 by Monday, Nov. 6.

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