The Museum of American History Displays Nipsey Hussle Malcolm X Chain

Nipsey Hussle’s gold chains with the diamond-encrusted Malcolm X pendant, is currently on display at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C.

The new bilingual exhibit, “Entertainment Nation/Nación del espectáculo,”opens Dec. 9 and will be on permanent display celebrating American entertainment over the last 150 years from film, television, music, sports, and theater.  

Ali’s boxing robe, Prince’s guitar, and costumes from Selena are among 200 objects from beloved icons on display.

The entertainment exhibit is the Smithsonian’s way of honoring and highlighting popular culture in America through the decades, and is part of their newly added culture wing.

The massive exhibit uses technology to create an immersive experience. Clips from movies, plays, musicals, and shows flash across floor-to-ceiling screens, providing quick glimpses of notable characters and scenes.

This will be the Museum of American History’s first bilingual exhibit, with descriptions displayed in both English and Spanish.

One of the exhibit’s three interactive “micro-galleries” dives into the history of racial stereotypes in comedy by illuminating artifacts used in minstrel shows. Footage of Judy Garland singing “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” in Wizard of Oz is juxtaposed with the young actress singing in blackface a year earlier in the 1938 film Everybody Sing (DCIST.com).

A 10-day festival will honor the exhibits opening, with musical performances, panel discussions as well as film screenings.

“A round, glimmering gold pendant attached to a single Cuban-link style chain with thick overlapping links rests on top of more chains. Down the center of the round pendant—from top to bottom—is the letter A, a dollar sign (without the vertical lines), and a square; these refer to Hussle’s record label, All Money In. One of the lower chains is longer than the others and holds a bas-relief bust of an African American man with a raised fist—Malcolm X. Both pendants are set with tiny square-cut diamonds. This Grammy Award-winning artist made his mark—and inspired others—through music, activism, and business savvy.” – American History Museum

Read More: Smithsonian Entertainment Exhibition To Showcase Pop Culture