In the weeks since announcing the annual 25 additions to the National Recording Registry the Library has been asked a few questions about rap and hip-hop and its representation on the list. These questions are valid and important to explore.

The 2013 list of 25 additions announced earlier this month did not include a recording in the rap and hip-hop genre. However, the genre has been represented on the registry since the registry’s very first list of 50 recordings was announced in January 2003. In that year, “The Message” by Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five was among recordings including Orson Welles’ radio drama “War of the Worlds” (1938), President Dwight D. Eisenhower’s D-Day radio address (1944) and Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech (1963).

The fact that those important and diverse sound recordings stand shoulder to shoulder on the same list is indicative of what the registry is about, and indeed illustrates the very important role sound recordings have played in our collective memory and consciousness since the very first recordings were captured in 1853.

With respect to rap and hip-hop, in addition to “The Message”, the registry also includes Sugar Hill’s 1979 “Rapper’s Delight” – widely credited with launching the genre – plus three others for a total of five. That means of the 17 music recordings in the Registry that date from 1979 or later, about 30 percent represent the rap genre, including the most contemporary recording in the entire registry, Tupac Shakur’s 1995 “Dear Mama.”

It is important to understand that the National Recording Registry is not a “best of music” list. Although much attention each year tends to focus on popular music, the registry is about sound recordings of all kinds – from political speeches to historic firsts, all deserving recognition and preservation.

Of course the registry includes music, but it also showcases Thomas Edison’s recording of 1888 for a talking doll prototype; 1890 recordings of Passamaquoddy Indians – considered the first field recordings; Booker T. Washington’s 1895 Atlanta Exposition Speech (1906 recreation); 1917′s the Bubble Book – the first book/record recorded especially for children; the first transatlantic radio broadcast (1925); the first official transatlantic telephone conversation (1927); Charles Lindbergh’s arrival in Washington, DC (1927); FDR’s fireside chats (1933-44); Neil Armstrong’s broadcast from the moon; and many other historic recordings.

You can view the entire list here.

The process for selecting new additions includes review of public nominations, and active discussions and review by the advisory National Recording Preservation Board, featuring representatives from the recorded sound, preservation and music industries.  The Board advises the Librarian of Congress on national preservation policy as well as the National Recording Registry.

Of course, selecting the recordings each year involves a lot of discourse and argument about current representation of various genres, time periods, artists and key cultural and historical themes.

Keep in mind, the National Recording Registry represents a very small slice of the Library’s collection of more than 3.5 million sound recordings or the 46 million recordings held in U.S. public institutions according to a 2005 survey.  Many of these recordings are in dire need of preservation, an alarming fact highlighted in the 2013 landmark national recorded sound plan published by the Library.  The good news is that virtually any published recording of a song registered for copyright with deposited copies is in the Library’s permanent collections: so much, however, yet remains to be preserved and made available

But the registry, in essence, represents a special category of recordings the Library would seek out and ensure are in our collections in the most pristine form available.  So we do like to think of it as an “honor” or recognition of the best of the best in addition to spotlighting countless other worthy recordings.  From that standpoint we welcome the fact that critics are looking, well, critically at what is on the list and what is not. Keep that dialogue going!

With only 25 additions each year, the selection process is mighty challenging. And there is no doubt the number of recordings that should be on the registry far exceeds the number of recordings already on the registry.

Along with rap songs that have been mentioned in recent blogs and the public – works by artists such as Lauryn Hill, Run-DMC, 50 Cent, Dr. Dre, Jay-Z, Eminem and Kanye West — this vast treasure trove of cultural importance awaiting recognition consists of radio broadcasts, technological breakthroughs, advertisements, ambient sounds and well-known standards by a stunning litany of music legends.

If you believe rap or hip-hop – or any other genre – is under-represented on the list, please nominate a recording…or several. We are accepting nominations for the next list here.

Remember the recordings must be at least 10 years old. We look forward to hearing from you!

From Media Bistro:

If you’ve ever wanted to learn the nuts and bolts of investigative reporting, here’s your chance, courtesy of the Knight Center for Journalism in the Americas.

 A five-week, massive open online course (MOOC) on “Investigative Journalism for the Digital Age,” will begin on May 12 and end on June 14, 2014. 

From Knight:

Investigative journalism is the most highly-regarded branch of the profession, often helping reveal corruption, shining a light on social plights, influencing public policy and triggering change. It takes time and effort, but also an understanding of the basic concepts and tools used to carry out investigations.

To help people interested in learning about the newest resources and techniques in the field, the Knight Center for Journalism in the Americaswill offer the free Massive Open Online Course (or MOOC) “Investigative Journalism for the Digital Age” with the support of the Knight Foundation.

The course will take place from May 12 to June 15, 2014. Click here to register.

There are still spots available in KALW's News Audio Academy; deadline for applications is May 1. Details below!

-Mia

Enrollment now open for the KALW News Audio Academy

KALW is calling for applicants for our 10-month radio journalism training program based at KALW public radio, an NPR and BBC affiliate station in San Francisco. This program is designed to give you a graduate level audio production education, tuition-free.

We’re looking for creative thinkers who are great writers and storytellers with a passion for covering diverse communities, and ideally have some knowledge of the Bay Area.

Audio Academy participants will be trained to produce feature reports for KALW’s award-winning daily news program Crosscurrents. Your voice and your work will be broadcast on KALW during your time in the Audio Academy.

Training will include:

Working closely with reporters on developing stories, producing original feature stories for broadcast, interviewing potential guests/sources, researching topics, fact-checking, script writing, recording sound for pieces in the field, and learning story structure, voicing, digital production, engineering, and sound design. The training will take place inside the collaborative and supportive community of the KALW newsroom. Our editors and engineers, along with other public media producers, will lead workshops on every aspect of production specifically for the Audio Academy. Previous featured speakers have been: Roman Mars, Hansi Lo Wang, Daniel Alarcón, Marianne McCune, and Jason DeRose (to name a few).

Selected participants will make a 10-month commitment (September 2014 to June 2015): minimum 20 hours per week (one six-hour shift at our studios and another 14 hours working in the field). The Academy includes a one-week break at Thanksgiving, a two-week break in late December, and a one-week break during the spring. Enrollment in a college or university is not necessary to participate.

To apply please send a cover letter, CV and any audio/writing samples to:

KALWapplications@gmail.com

Application deadline: May 1, 2014, 11:59 PT

We look forward to meeting you!

KALW encourages a diverse pool of applicants from a variety of backgrounds. We do not discriminate on the basis of age, race, religion, gender, or sexual orientation. We value diversity.