Hip-Hop—a Bronx-bred movement sparked 50 years ago by the creativity of Black and brown resourcefulness and rebellion—has evolved into a globally recognized art form and culture. As trends come and go and Hip-Hop expands, some stories and relics are overshadowed, misplaced, or simply lost.
 

Cementing Hip-Hop’s legacy has taken work and now A&E’s Hip-Hop Treasures aims to add to the growing archives. Hosted by LL Cool J and Ice-T, the show finds the duo collecting items and stories for the Universal Hip-Hop Museum.
 

“I started off as a guest,” explained the 65-year-old West Coast legend over the phone.“It’s insightful because you get to learn more about people, you get to see a little bit more about the artists than you normally would. It’s educational because you’re going to learn something about the culture. And then it’s fun because we laugh a lot on the show.”

The series finds the two rap pioneers uncovering more of the culture’s history alongside field collectors Cipha Sounds and Yo-Yo, Chief Museum Curator Paradise Gray, and curator Pete Nick. The collective explores the narratives of acts including DMC (Run DMC), CeeLo Green, Flavor Flav, Fat Joe, Treach (Naughty by Nature,) Master P, Soulja Boy, and more. 
 

Set to premiere on Aug. 12, Hip-Hop Treasures also features tributes to The Notorious B.I.G., DMX, Biz Markie, and Coolio’s last on-camera appearance before his 2022 death. VIBE spoke with Ice-T ahead of the premiere to discuss the creation of Hip-Hop Treasures and the significance of documenting the culture.