An AKAI MPC 3000 Limited Edition integrated rhythm machine, drum sampler and MIDI sequencer owned and used by J Dilla. | Photo courtesy of the Musical Crossroads exhibit at NMAAHC.
On September 24th, the Smithsonian will cut the ribbon on its newest addition to the National Mall, the National Museum of African American History and Culture. The museum, which has been in construction for over two years now, will feature exhibits that span a rich lineage of activism, musical innovation and excellence across the board.
And what better way to celebrate this long overdue happening than with a little opening day festival? On Friday, September 23rd, the museum will host a three-day festival in the National Mall (right by the Washington Monument) where some of music's greatest treasures are set to perform, including Public Enemy, Living Colour, Meshell Ndegeocello, Experience Unlimited and our very own Roots. The weekend-long celebration is being dubbed Freedom Sounds: A Community Celebration and will be nothing short of that.
For the full schedule of the weekend's events, please hit the link below. We'll have more on the museum's exhibits and installations in the weeks and months ahead. For now, you can take a virtual tour of the National Museum of African American History and Culture ahead of its grand opening here.
