After years of planning and setbacks, the long awaited Hip-Hop Hall of Fame is headed to Manhattan.

The exact details of the museum are still being worked out according to the hall "s business manager Bobby Fisher, but it will be open in midtown by 2014.

Fisher said the hall of fame "s creator James "JT" Thompson wanted to bring the museum to the city not only because it is the center of the world but also because it is the birthplace of the genre.

"We have to make sure New York is the place where the history is cultivated," he said.

The exact location and concept drawings of the museum will be revealed in July, but Fisher said it will include 20 to 25 exhibits that will showcase the last 30 years of hip-hop. Along with memorabilia, such as clothing, records and posters, the exhibits will include holograms, interactive learning centers and more, according to Fisher.

"The Hall of Fame itself will be like a hallowed ground," he said.

The museum will also host tours for thousands of city children each day and include a gift shop and restaurant.

Before the museum opens its doors, it will add some more members to its roster that include artists such as Run-DMC and radio DJ Red Alert.

In November, the Apollo Theater will host the Hall of Fame "s inductee ceremony which has been on hiatus since 1997 following the murders of Notorious B.I.G. and Tupac Shakur.

Proceeds from the show were collected to help fund the museum, which has been in the works since 1994, but financial difficulties put the plans on hold.

Economics have become a major roadblock for music museums in the city.

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame "s annex in SoHo was only open for a year before shutting its doors in 2010. Despite having New York focused memorabilia such as Bruce Springsteen "s 1957 Chevy and John Lennon "s Record Plant Piano, fans were put off by the museum "s high entry fee.

Fisher said the museum "s planning board has taken the current economic environment into account and assured that when the space opens it will be an immediate hit with tourists and New Yorkers alike.

amny.com