INTERVIEW: Grammy Museum co-curator and UCLA RAP Lab’s Adam Bradley

Previewing Grammy Museum’s new “Hip-Hop America: The Mixtape Exhibit” before its public opening a few weeks ago, my eyes immediately met priceless, meaningful cultural artifacts at every turn. Among the friendly faces greeting the small crowd of photographers and journalists viewing these rarities, stood UCLA’s English and African-American Studies “Professor of Hip-Hop” and Rap Lab founding director Adam Bradley. As a life-long lover of poetry and song lyrics, I was hyped to connect with him about his passion for the art form and his influence on the prominent “Lyrical Adventures” pod within the exhibit.

Author of critically acclaimed academia annals like “The Anthology of Rap”, among his many accomplishments, Adam’s also collaborated with Common to pen his memoir “One Day It’ll All Make Sense”. Growing up in Salt Lake City,Utah, we chatted about his initial discovery of hip-hop there, the exciting things happening at The Rap Lab, his top 5, linking with Common and WTF moments with Diddy and Chuck D! Listen to the interview clips below and check out Adam’s books HERE! To get tix to see the Grammy Museum “Hip-Hop America” exhibit in person, click HERE!

UCLA’s Adam Bradley on the importance of lyrics at the Hip-Hop America exhibit and his love of rap

UCLA’s Adam Bradley on De La Soul’s 3 Feet High and Rising and Common

UCLA’s Adam Bradley on The Rap Lab and working with incarcerated individuals

UCLA’s Adam Bradley on Kendrick Lamar, Lauryn Hill, Rakim and his top 5

UCLA’s Adam Bradley on WTF moments with Diddy, Chuck D and plans with Cordei