How Are Digital Replicas Preserving Hip-Hop History?

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As Hip-Hop reached its 50th anniversary, the question of preserving its culture and artifacts is coming to a head. While hip-hop's cultural artifacts can be found everywhere from private collections, to museums, to the merchandise stand — new technologies like photogrammetry and LiDAR are establishing a means of historic preservation in a digital space through 3D twins of the real world.

With simple tools like a photo camera or even a smart phone, users can make 3D renditions of real-life objects, places, and people with a simple scan. The “digital twin” is becoming a tool of historic preservation in virtual worlds.

But Hip-Hop remains a marketable and a popular cultural currency. 3D renditions of places and artifacts can be done without the artist’s consent and remain in the hands of interests outside of the culture. In a world where anything can be turned into a virtual 3D object, how do artists maintain sovereignty and control over their works in a digital space?

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