Hip hop is everywhere. But a new exhibition is highlighting the people, music and artifacts that reflect St. Louis’ special place in the genre, and culture. “To STL With Love,” a multimedia arts exhibition that runs through January 31, celebrates hip hop’s deep local roots and wide-ranging impact.
St. Louis native Kris Blackmon is the exhibition’s curator. A child of the 1980s, she said the era’s hip hop hits, like Salt n Pepa’s “Push It,” left an indelible impression. In her teens, the work of artists like Nas and Gang Starr compelled her to find ways to experience the music she loved being in St. Louis.
“I was the one going to hip hop nights [at] Blueberry Hill’s ‘The Science’, the Hi-Pointe, Cicero's, Del Mar Lounge, which is now Session Taco in the Loop, and checking out freestyle battles, DJ spins, a lot of different shows at the Pageant. All of [it] was a way to really get immersed in the culture,” Blackmon recalled.
“All those different places grew my love for St. Louis hip hop specifically.”
The focus on St. Louis that inspired “To STL With Love” was already on Blackmon’s mind in 2023, the year of hip hop’s 50th anniversary. It was also the same year St. Louis Art Museum presented “The Culture,” a major exhibition about hip hop and 21st-century art. So Blackmon decided to “put a pin in” her idea.
“You know, things work out how they're supposed to,” she said. “‘For the Culture’ was an amazing, beautiful exhibition. And I knew that I didn't want to rush what I had in mind.”
Taking her time gave Blackmon room to secure an institutional partner in the Kranzberg Arts Foundation, which has provided exhibition space at Sophie’s Artist Lounge in Grand Center. It also meant she could reach out to friends in the St. Louis hip hop community about contributing items for the show. She eventually amassed a collection of local hip hop history, including an Akai MPC2000 sampler submitted by DJ Crucial, a Gee Wiz turntable, Tef Poe’s Ferguson protest gas mask, and a sticker-and-graffiti covered mirror from Blank Space on Cherokee.
Each item given to Blackmon for “To STL With Love” embodies personal and collective histories. That, and St. Louis’ bounty of innovative, creative people, is what Blackmon wants people to experience through her exhibition.
“We have a lot of influences from all over the country while also having our own natural way in which we do things,” she said. “St. Louis has a very, very deep history of just the arts, from jazz to rock and roll. We have been cultivators and creators of a lot, and hip hop is no different.”
To hear the full conversation — which includes why “To STL With Love” includes such a diversity of materials and media, and what makes the exhibition a timely and vital archive — listen to St. Louis on the Air on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube, or click the play button below.
Related Event
What: To STL With Love: Celebrating Hip Hop Culture in St. Louis
When: 5 p.m. - 1 a.m., Wed. to Sun. through January 2026; or by appointment (email: galleries@kranzbergarts.org | phone: 314-533-0367, ext. 105)
Where: Sophie’s Artist Lounge, 3333 Washington Ave Suite 102, St. Louis, MO 63103
“St. Louis on the Air” brings you the stories of St. Louis and the people who live, work and create in our region. The show is produced by Miya Norfleet, Emily Woodbury, Danny Wicentowski, Elaine Cha and Alex Heuer. Darrious Varner is our production assistant. The audio engineer is Aaron Doerr.
