Hip Hop Museum & USPS Virtual Stamp Ceremony

What: On Wednesday, July 1 at 11 am EST the Universal Hip Hop Museum and the U.S. Postal Service will host a virtual ceremonial event to celebrate the Hip Hop movement with new Forever stamps. This pane of 20 stamps features four elements of hip-hop: MCing (rapping), B-boying (break dancing), DJing and Graffiti Art. The bold, digitally tinted images on the stamps are intended to appear in motion. There are five stamps of each design. The words “Forever,” “USA,” “Hip Hop” and the name of the element featured appear across the top of each stamp. The stamps are highlighted with a vivid yellow, green, red and black color scheme. The title of the stamp issuance, printed in red and black, is centered on the top of the pane.

Since its inception, the electrifying music, dance and art of Hip Hop have profoundly influenced American and global popular culture.  A dynamic youth culture that emerged in the mid-1970s at playgrounds and community centers in Black and Brown neighborhoods across New York City. The term “Hip Hop” refers to four creative activities that developed together: rapping, DJing, B-Boying and Graffiti Art. Even before Hip Hop music hit the radio airwaves in 1979, teenagers developed Hip Hop for neighborhood fun, storytelling and to speak out about social issues overlooked by mainstream society. In light of civil and social unrest in the country today, the new Forever stamps could not be introduced at a more relevant time, serving as a humble reminder of the foundation on which Hip Hop was built.

Who: Gary Barksdale, Chief Postal Inspector, U.S. Postal Inspection Service
Rocky Bucano, Executive Director, Universal Hip Hop Museum
Kurtis Blow, legendary Hip Hop artist

When: Wednesday, July 1, 2020, 11:00 a.m. ET

Where: The virtual stamp event will be posted on the Postal Service’s Facebook and Twitter pages.

Facebook

If you choose to watch a virtual Postal Service stamp event through your mobile device: 

1. Download the Facebook app from your phone’s app store. (If you already have the app, go to step 3.)
2. Sign in to your Facebook account.
3. In the search box, type USPS.
4. Select “Pages” and click the “Like” button for “US Postal Service.” (Note: You must “Like” USPS to be able to view the virtual event.)
5. Once you have liked USPS, go to the USPS Facebook page.
6. Scroll down the page until you see “Posts.”
7. Click on the event. (Note: If you are experiencing technical difficulties or the event does not start exactly at the scheduled time and you do not see the livestream, keep refreshing your page until it becomes available.)

If you choose to watch a virtual Postal Service stamp event through your desktop or laptop, sign in to your Facebook account.

1. In the search box, type USPS.
2. Select “Pages” and click the “Like” button for “US Postal Service.” (Note: You must “Like” USPS to be able to view the virtual event.)
3. Once you have liked USPS, go to the USPS Facebook page.
4. Scroll down the page until you see “Posts.”
5. Click on the event. (Note: If you are experiencing technical difficulties or the event does not start exactly at the scheduled time and you do not see the livestream, keep refreshing your page until it becomes available.)

Twitter

Mobile view: Open Twitter app. If you do not have a Twitter account, you can download the Twitter app and create your own account, or open twitter.com/USPS from your phone’s web browser. Once the ceremony begins, the virtual event will appear at the top of the USPS Twitter feed. If the ceremony does not appear, keep refreshing the page until the event appears. 

Desktop view: Sign in to your Twitter account or open twitter.com/USPS from your computer’s web browser. Once the ceremony begins, the virtual event will appear at the top of the USPS Twitter feed. If the ceremony does not appear, keep refreshing the page until the event appears.

Background: Art director Antonio Alcalá designed the stamps, which feature photographs by Cade Martin. Forever stamps will always be equal in value to the current First-Class Mail 1-ounce price. News of the stamps is being shared with the hashtag #HipHopPostageStamp.

Customers may purchase stamps and other philatelic products through The Postal Store at usps.com/shopstamps, by calling 800-STAMP24 (800-782-6724), by mail through USA Philatelic, or at Post Office locations nationwide. 

The Postal Service receives no tax dollars for operating expenses and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations.