Universal Hip Hop Museum Debuts the Kurtis Blow VR Experience

 

Universal Hip Hop Museum Debuts the

Kurtis Blow VR Experience

 

 

New Museum Uses Virtual Reality Technology to Pay Homage to One of Hip Hop’s Pioneers and Take Viewers into Brooklyn’s Iconic Rawlston Recording Studio

 

 

BRONX, N.Y. – The Universal Hip Hop Museum (UHHM) announced today the debut of the Kurtis Blow VR Experience. For the first time in history, hip hop fans can join Kurtis Blow in Rawlston Recording Studio, the iconic location where he recorded the smash hit song, “If I Ruled the World” via their Android devices.

 

 

 

The virtual reality exhibit, complete with 360-degree video, takes viewers on an immersive tour through some of the most pivotal moments in hip hop from Kurtis Blow’s perspective. He discusses the numerous hip hop pioneers that recorded in Rawlston, including Sugar Hill Gang, Doug E. Fresh and The Fat Boys. He also shares insights on how important the studio’s technology was to the sound of hip hop in the 1970s and 1980s, and reveals that it was in Rawlston where the very first sample loop was created.

 

The Kurtis Blow VR Experience is accessible for free via the Google Play Store and requires headphones and the Google Cardboardviewer, which can be ordered online. UHHM has plans to make the virtual reality exhibit accessible to iOS users in the coming months.

 

 

 

 

“The future is now and at your fingertips,” said Kurtis Blow. “Documenting hip hop culture using virtual reality gives hip hop fans an entirely new way to access the music and the artists that they love and respect. It also ensures that the legacy of hip hop is preserved in a way that properly pays homage to the innovation of the artists that laid the foundation for what is now a major cultural influence both in the U.S. and globally.”

 

UHHM was granted a provisional charter by the New York State Department of Education Board of Regents on February 10th, 2015 to operate a museum for the preservation, protection and education of hip hop culture. The museum is committed to teaching, engaging and inspiring audiences around the world through the creativity and power of hip hop culture. The museum’s programming includes digital collections, virtual exhibits, interviews, pop-up experiences, award shows and innovative educational programs and activities. 

 

UHHM is a recognized 501C3 tax-exempt corporation of New York State. The museum’s strategic partners include Google Cardboard, Framestore VR, Carnevale Interactive, and ZinnApp. Education and social programming partners include The Future Project, Cornell University Hip Hop Archives, High School for Recording Arts and Lalabela Academy.

 

For more information about UHHM, including how to sign up for corporate or individual memberships, visit www.uhhm.org. For full access to the Kurtis Blow VR Experience, visit the Google Play Store.