November 2nd 2025.
Marcyliena Morgan, a pioneering scholar and the visionary founder of the Hip Hop Archive and Research Institute at Harvard, passed away at the age of 75. Her groundbreaking work as a professor studying the music genre played a pivotal role in elevating Hip Hop to its rightful place as an art form and cultural phenomenon. Through her tireless efforts, she established the prestigious Harvard institution, solidifying her own legacy as well as that of Hip Hop within the realm of academia.
Born and raised in 1950s Chicago, Morgan was a linguistic anthropologist who uncovered the scholarly nature of Hip Hop while teaching at UCLA. It was during her lectures on urban speech communities in the 1990s that she noticed her students making connections between their studies and the rising popularity of rap music.
Initially, Morgan was skeptical about the place of Hip Hop in higher education. However, as she delved deeper into its cultural and sociological implications, she began to understand how it reflected the experiences of Black and Brown communities, and the various roles that rappers played within them.
In her 2009 book "The Real Hiphop," Morgan wrote, "I developed a respect for hip-hop culture because, in spite of all its excesses and criticisms, it remains a rare space where young Black and Brown people are valued and recognized by their peers. They are treated as gods and goddesses, placed on pedestals for seeking and representing truth and knowledge, and proudly embracing their identities and roots."
Morgan soon became a champion for the academic study of Hip Hop, amassing a collection of artifacts as the art form merged with fashion. From boomboxes and vinyl records to highly-coveted sneakers, her passion and dedication led to the founding of Harvard's Hip Hop Archive and Research Institution in 2007.
As a leading voice in the academic community, Morgan spoke at conferences and taught courses on Hip Hop, witnessing its growth into the cultural staple it is today. She had a deep understanding of the nuances of rap and recognized its impact not only on people of color but also on American culture and eventually, the world.
Henry Louis Gates Jr., director of the Hutchins Center for African & African American Research at Harvard, spoke highly of Morgan's contributions, saying, "She believed that Hip Hop needed to be studied, recorded, preserved, and analyzed as a cultural phenomenon. And she was right. It wasn't just an American or African American cultural phenomenon, it soon swept the world."
A lifelong scholar and advocate for Hip Hop's place in both the classroom and on the stage, Morgan's legacy lives on through her academic profile, which celebrates and supports the artistic creations and legacies of Black people. She passed away at the age of 75 from complications of Alzheimer's disease, but her legacy continues to thrive through the Marcyliena H. Morgan Hip Hop Archive & Research Institute, a fitting tribute to her passion and dedication.
In honor of her influential work, the Hip Hop Museum recently honored Morgan and other dignitaries at a gala in New York City. Through her groundbreaking research and advocacy, Marcyliena Morgan has left an indelible mark on the world of Hip Hop and beyond.
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