Carrico Kingdom Sanders being Vice President of Chi Rock Nation, a board member of Custom Resources NFP, and a Director at Diverse City had the vision to form the partnership. He brought the idea to Dunbar High school classmate and President of ChiRock Nation Darrell Artistic Roberts and Columbia College classmate and President of Custom Resources and Diverse City Brian Gorman. Together Roberts, Sanders, and Gorman curated decades of photos, flyers, and other memorabilia mostly from their personal collections as well as items loaned to enhance the exhibit. The exhibit was set to be housed in a Bronzeville Greystone occupied by Brian Gorman.

Although originally intended as a one month pop up, the exhibit transformed into what is now the Chicago Hip Hop Heritage Museum. The Chicago Hip Hop Heritage Museum proved its concept over the course of 4.5 years hosting 4 exhibit rotations, and countless hip hop curated themed events. In January 2026, The Chicago Hip Hop Heritage Museum will step away from its 4505 S. Indiana location to prepare for its new home coming 2028, and continue broadening existing and establishing new partnerships.
(Disclaimer, we are not part of the Legends Project as mentioned in the Reader, Block Club Chicago, Time Out Chicago)

The Chicago Hip Hop Heritage Museum celebrates the Hip Hop community that has served as an alternative to negativity by providing creative outlets since the 70s. The Chicago Hip Hop outlet was used to save lives and became therapeutic to the many that participated to escape from the realities of gangs and drugs. 

Through the elements of Hip Hop Graf writers like Ray Pitman, Trixster, Slang, Artistic, and Upski were able to channel through visual arts.  Emcee/ Rappers like Captain Skyy, Casper, Dr. Groove, DA Smart, IllState Assassins, Twista, Chance the Rapper, and Kanye West were able to channel through performance and music. DJs like 33 1/3, Mustapha Rocks, Timbuktu, World was able to do the same. The museum pays homage to radio personalities like Pink House, Chilly Q, First Lady, Al Greer, and Ramonski Luv and dancers like Jeffery Daniels, Shabba Doo, Brickheadz, King Charles, and Prince Jron.

HISTORY OF CHICAGO HIP HOP HERITAGE MONTH