​The Smithsonian is curating a rap anthology of 129 songs

The Smithsonian Institution, a group of museums and research centres based in the US, is releasing a 129-track anthology of rap music.

A nine-disc boxset celebrating the history and culture around hip hop is set to be released on August 20 by the institution’s label, Folkway Records.

The anthology was compiled by Public Enemy’s Chuck D, MC Lyte, and Questlove. Former Def Jam executives Bill Adler and Bill Stephney also helped to curate the boxset.

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The Smithsonian is the largest museum, education and research complex in the world. As part of the institution’s National Museum of African American History and Culture, the anthology was compiled to go alongside The Smithsonian’s collection.

Covering the beginning of rap history with the likes of Herbie Hancock and Sugarhill Gang, the anthology moves through from the very early years of the genre to the latest hits.

From the golden era of hip hop, Grandmaster Flash, N.W.A (pictured), A Tribe Called Quest, Cypress Hill and Missy Elliot all feature throughout the tracks, before coming to the more recent trailblazers, inducing J Cole, Kanye, and Nicki Minaj.

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According to Consequence Of Sound, the anthology will also come with “a 300-page book featuring essays by leading hip hop luminaries, writers and critics, as well as liner notes and hundreds of photographs documenting decades of hip hop history.”

Pre-order the anthology here. A full tracklist covering all nine discs can be found below:

Disc 1

1. Fatback – ‘King Tim III’ 2. Sugarhill Gang – ‘Rapper’s Delight’ 3. The Sequence – ‘Funk You Up’ 4. Kurtis Blow – ‘The Breaks’ 5. Funky Four +1 – ‘That’s the Joint’ 6. Spoonie Gee feat. The Sequence – ‘Monster Jam’ 7. Treacherous Three – ‘The Body Rock’ 8. Blondie – ‘Rapture’ 9. Grandmaster Flash – ‘The Adventures of Grandmaster Flash on the Wheels of Steel’ 10. Afrika Bambaataa & The Soulsonic Force – ‘Planet Rock’

Disc 2

1. Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five – ‘The Message’ 2. The Fearless Four – ‘Rockin It’ 3. Cold Crush Brothers – ‘Punk Rock Rap’ 4. Herbie Hancock – ‘Rockit’ 5. Afrika Bambaataa & The Soulsonic Force – ‘Looking for the Perfect Beat’ 6. Run-DMC – ‘It’s Like That’ 7. Whodini – ‘Friends’ 8. Cold Crush Brothers – ‘Fresh, Fly, Wild & Bold’ 9. T. La Rock – ‘It’s Yours’ 10. The World’s Famous Supreme Team – ‘Hey! DJ’ 11. Newcleus – ‘Jam On It’ 12. UTFO – ‘Roxanne, Roxanne’

Disc 3

1. Roxanne Shanté – ‘Roxanne’s Revenge’ 2. Fat Boys – ‘Fat Boys’ 3. Doug E. Fresh & MC Ricky D – ‘La Di Da Di’ 4. LL Cool J – ‘I Can’t Live without my Radio’ 5. Schoolly D – ‘P.S.K. What Does It Mean?’ 6. Run-DMC feat. Aerosmith – ‘Walk This Way’ 7. Beastie Boys – ‘Paul Revere’ 8. Ultramagnetic MC’s – ‘Ego Tripping’ 9. Ice-T – ‘6 ‘N The Mornin’’ 10. Kool Moe Dee – ‘How Ya Like Me Now’ 11. LL Cool J – ‘I Need Love’ 12. Eric B feat. Rakim – ‘Eric B is President’ 13. Mantronix – ‘King of The Beats’

Disc 4

1. Stetsasonic feat. the Rev. Jesse Jackson & Olatunji – ‘A.F.R.I.C.A.’ 2. Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince – ‘Parents Just Don’t Understand’ 3. Audio Two – ‘Top Billin’’ 4. MC Lyte – ‘Lyte As A Rock’ 5. Big Daddy Kane – ‘Raw’ 6. Marley Marl feat. Master Ace, Craig G, Kool G Rap, & Big Daddy Kane – ‘The Symphony’ 7. MC Lyte – ‘I Cram to Understand U (Sam)’ 8. Tone Lōc – ‘Wild Thing’ 9. Rob Base & DJ E-Z Rock – ‘It Takes Two’ 10. Jungle Brothers – ‘I’ll House You’ 11. N.W.A. – ‘Fuck Tha Police’ 12. Public Enemy – ‘Fight the Power’ 13. The Stop the Violence Movement – ‘Self Destruction’ 14. Too Short – ‘Life Is…Too Short’ 15. Slick Rick – ‘Children’s Story’ 16. 3rd Bass – ‘The Gas Face’

Disc 5

1. Queen Latifah feat. Monie Love – ‘Ladies First’ 2. Public Enemy – ‘Bring the Noise’ 3. De La Soul – ‘Me Myself and I’ 4. Biz Markie – ‘Just a Friend’ 5. The D.O.C. – ‘It’s Funky Enough’ 6. 2 Live Crew – ‘Me So Horny’ 7. Digital Underground – ‘The Humpty Dance’ 8. MC Hammer – ‘U Can’t Touch This’ 9. Vanilla Ice – ‘Ice Ice Baby’ 10. Brand Nubian – ‘All for One’ 11. Geto Boys – ‘Mind Playing Tricks on Me’ 12. A Tribe Called Quest – ‘Scenario’ 13. Black Sheep – ‘The Choice is Yours’ 14. Salt-N-Pepa – ‘Let’s Talk About Sex’ 15. Yo-Yo feat. Ice-Cube – ‘Can’t Play with My Yo-Yo’ 16. Naughty By Nature – ‘O.P.P.’

Disc 6

1. Dr. Dre feat. Snoop Doggy Dogg – ‘Nuthin’ But a ‘G’ Thang’ 2. Ice Cube – ‘It Was a Good Day’ 3. Sir Mix-A-Lot – ‘Baby Got Back’ 4. Arrested Development – ‘Tennessee’ 5. Digable Planets – ‘Rebirth of Slick (Cool Like Dat)’ 6. House of Pain – ‘Jump Around’ 7. Positive K – ‘I Got a Man’ 8. Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth – ‘They Reminisce Over You (T.R.O.Y.)’ 9. UGK – ‘Pocket Full of Stones’ 10. Wu-Tang Clan – ‘C.R.E.A.M.’ 11. Cypress Hill – ‘Insane In The Brain’ 12. The Pharcyde – ‘Passin’ Me By’ 13. Eightball & MJG – ‘Comin Out Hard’ 14. Common Sense – ‘I Used to Love H.E.R.’ 15. Da Brat – ‘Funkdafied’ 16. Nas – ‘N.Y. State of Mind’ 17. Craig Mack feat. The Notorious B.I.G., Rampage, LL Cool J, Busta Rhymes – ‘Flava In Your Ear’

Disc 7

1. Beastie Boys – ‘Sabotage’ 2. The Notorious B.I.G. – ‘Juicy’ 3. Gang Starr feat. Nice & Smooth – ‘DWYCK’ 4. Warren G feat. Nate Dogg – ‘Regulate’ 5. Snoop Doggy Dogg – ‘Murder Was The Case’ 6. E-40 feat. Suga T – ‘Sprinkle Me’ 7. Goodie Mob – ‘Cell Therapy’ 8. Coolio feat. L.V. – ‘Gangsta’s Paradise’ 9. 2Pac – ‘Dear Mama’ 10. Mobb Deep – S’hook Ones, Part 2′ 11. Method Man feat. Mary J. Blige – ‘I’ll Be There For You / You’re All I Need To Get By’ 12. Foxy Brown feat. Jay-Z – ‘I’ll Be’ 13. Lil Kim feat. Puff Daddy – ‘No Time’ 14. Bone Thugs-N-Harmony – ‘Tha Crossroads’ 15. Wu-Tang Clan feat. Cappadonna – ‘Triumph’ 16. Busta Rhymes – ‘Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Could See’ 17. Master P feat. Silkk The Shocker, Mia X, Fiend – ‘Make ‘Em Say Uhh!’

Disc 8

1. Missy Elliot – ‘The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)’ 2. Lauryn Hill – ‘Doo Wop (That Thing)’ 3. DMX – ‘Ruff Ryders’ Anthem’ 4. The Roots – ‘The Next Movement’ 5. Mos Def – ‘Mathematics’ 6. BG – ‘Bling Bling’ 7. dead prez – ‘Hip Hop’ 8. Eminem feat. Dido – ‘Stan’ 9. OutKast – ‘Ms. Jackson’ 10. Nelly – C’ountry Grammar (Hot Shit)’ 11. Ludacris feat. Pharrell – ‘Southern Hospitality’ 12. Nas – ‘One Mic’ 13. 50 Cent – ‘In Da Club’ 14. Lil Jon & The East Side Boyz feat. Ying Yang Twins – ‘Get Low’

Disc 9

1. Talib Kweli – ‘Black Girl Pain’ 2. Kanye West – ‘Jesus Walks’ 3. Three 6 Mafia feat. Young Buck, Eightball & MJG – ‘Stay Fly’ 4. Rick Ross – ‘Hustlin’’ 5. Lupe Fiasco feat. Nikki Jean – ‘Hip-Hop Saved My Life’ 6. Young Jezzy feat. Nas – ‘My President’ 7. David Banner feat. Chris Brown & Yung Joc – ‘Get Like Me’ 8. Lil Wayne feat. Robin Thicke – ‘Tie My Hands’ 9. Jay Electronica – ‘Exhibit C’ 10. Nicki Minaj – ‘Super Bass’ 11. Macklemore & Ryan Lewis feat. Wanz – ‘Thrift Shop’ 12. J Cole feat. TLC – ‘Crooked Smile’ 13. Kanye West – ‘Blood On The Leaves’ 14. Drake – ‘Started From the Bottom’

Gemma Ross is Mixmag's Digital Intern, follow her on Twitter