Description
Women have been the backbone of hip-hop since its inception. They possess perseverance, creativity, and a spiritual and metaphysical presence. These female creators have a profound potency that makes them the perfect symbols for an oracle deck to help you address a question or set your intention for the day.
The 52 artists included—from MC Lyte, Salt-N-Pepa, Queen Latifah, and Lil' Kim to Beyoncé, Missy Elliott, Cardi B, and Nicki Minaj—are hip-hop's oracles, now immortalized from tape deck to card deck. Veteran music journalist and certified oracle reader Kathy Iandoli matched each queen with an appropriate symbol, based on her decades of experience interviewing (and befriending) iconic artists, past and present. Rendered in the bold, colorful, pop art–style portraiture of artist Monica Ahanonu on sturdy, oversized cards with rounded corners, these DJs, MCs, and singers will guide you the same way they've blazed trails from the underground to the mainstream since day one.
Museum Story
The Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) hosted its inaugural Hip-Hop Block Party in 2022, to celebrate the first anniversary of the release of the Smithsonian Anthology of Hip-Hop and Rap. More than 8,000 people attended in person and thousands more watched online. The event featured performances by local and national talent, presentations and activities that explored hip-hop music's origins and cultural influence for 12 hours. In 2023, the tradition returned to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Hip-Hop.
Details
- 72 page booklet
- 52 full-color cards
- 6.4" x 4.9"
- Written by Kathy Iandoli, author of God Save the Queens: The Essential History of Women in Hip-Hop
- Illustrated by Monica Ahanonu
