
By Mekhi AbbottSpecial to the AFROmabbott@afro.com
The Nationwide Hip-Hop Museum is tapping into the hashish trade, opening three new dispensary places in Washington, D.C., with an eye fixed towards fundraising.
The Orbit Store, the Lifted Store and the Lifted Lounge don’t serve solely as hashish venues. Every retailer has a novel buyer expertise, together with distinctive collectables, art work and extra.
Chief Govt Officer Jeremy Beaver spoke to the AFRO in regards to the fixed evolution of each the Hip-Hop Museum and the hashish trade.
“The ever-changing facet refers back to the rollercoaster experience anybody would go on when attempting to create the world’s first hip-hop museum. There’s a number of challenges and a number of actually enjoyable, fulfilling features. That is a kind of enjoyable, fulfilling features,” stated Beaver. “With the assistance of our retail director Erica Parham, we remodeled our reward and retail retailer right into a world-class, on-line collectable and retail enterprise with all issues associated to basic hip-hop. One of many large issues we’re doing is utilizing hashish as a chance to boost extra money for the museum whereas additionally adhering to the brand new legal guidelines in Washington, D.C.”

The three dispensaries will likely be positioned all through the guts of the District. The Lifted Store is positioned close to the doorway of Howard College at 2622 Georgia Ave. The Lifted Store can also be residence to The Home of Hip-Hop, the Nationwide Hip-Hop Museum’s principal exhibit gallery. The Lifted Lounge, positioned at 406 Florida Ave. NW, will function each an artwork gallery and smoke lounge outfitted with a gaming lounge and stay DJs. The Orbit Store on 18th Road NW is already residence to the Hip-Hop Store, the Nationwide Hip-Hop Museum’s flagship retail retailer, residence to the East Coast’s largest assortment of hip-hop memorabilia and merchandise. The Orbit Store will solely supply medical marijuana, because the regulation mandates in Washington, D.C.
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“We’re going by the method of getting licensed proper now in order that our retail retailer has the flexibility to promote authorized, medical hashish merchandise in Washington, D.C. It’s medical, not leisure. That’s the best way the regulation right here states,” stated Beaver.
The Orbit Store, Lifted Store and Lifted Lounge have already partnered with basic hip-hop acts with their very own strains of medical hashish. For instance, The Sugar Hill Gang has a pressure referred to as Sugar Hill Delight and Grandmaster Caz’s pressure is known as Casanova Fly.
Beaver and the Nationwide Hip-Hip Museum have made a concerted effort to honor the pioneers of hip-hop. Beaver may be very intentional about giving recognition to the unique contributors of hip-hop tradition earlier than turning his consideration to newer acts.

“There are nonetheless so many legendary, pioneering acts that we haven’t honored but from the 12 months 1973 to 2000,” he stated. “We wish to shine a light-weight on a number of the legends that will not have acquired the accolades, awards or plaques, however had a huge effect on not solely music however bigger society.”
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On the finish of 2024, the Nationwide Hip-Hop Museum paid homage to many pivotal contributors to the style on the Hip-Hop Holidays Honors.
Enhancements to The Home of Hip-Hop, which doubles because the Lifted Lounge, are underway to offer a full, immersive and entertaining expertise for patrons and hip-hop fanatics.
“We’re going to be opening our new house, The Home of Hip-Hop on 406 Florida Ave., within the subsequent couple of months. It’s going to be outfitted with a efficiency stage and it’s going to have a liquor licence so we will serve alcoholic drinks. We’ll have two flooring consisting of an artwork gallery and an out of doors deck in addition to a lounge,” stated Beaver. “In need of a extremely massive, unified hip-hop museum downtown which is being labored on, this is a chance for folks to come back in, see the memorabilia and artwork, try a efficiency or ebook and actually simply get pleasure from themselves.”