Though at times locally maligned for its police-confounding off-shoots, hip-hop’s historical recognition is long overdue at an institution whose mission is the chronicling of American people and American culture. So we were pleased to see Boing Boing relay the news that the National Museum of American History will establish an exhibit of hip-hop artifacts entitled “Hip-Hop Won’t Stop: The Beat, the Rhymes, the Life” including “photographs, posters, handwritten lyrics, clothing and costumes, videos and interviews and business and personal letters from hip-hop’s early artists,” much of which they are hoping will be acquired from the artists themselves, ranging from Afrika Bambaataa to Russell Simmons.

Mr. Def Jam himself and a cohort of hip-hop icons attended the official announcement yesterday in New York. The collection, which Simmons called “a great statement for hip-hop,” is slated to take five years and $2 million to complete. We are especially excited that this will be a permanent collection, since, as Valeska Hilbig of the Smithsonian Institute said, “It’s here to stay, and it’s part of American culture just like jazz is part of American history. It’s part of the narrative we tell at the museum.”

As much as I’m excited about the chance to see Grandmaster Flash’s turntables in person, I hope they include a few contemporary pieces, such as one of Cam’ron’s pink minks, Busta Rhymes’ recently cut dreads, or maybe a few of Kanye’s pastel cashmere Polo sweaters.