Cheryl Keyes hits the right notes with Smithsonian anthology of rap music

Cheryl Keyes, a professor of ethnomusicology and global jazz studies at the UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music, made headlines this past year as a member of a committee that helped select music for the Smithsonian Museum's long-awaited "Smithsonian Anthology of Hip Hop and Rap." That marks one of the latest accomplishments for Keyes, who is also chair of African American studies. When the Smithsonian set about creating an anthology of vital hip-hop recordings in 2014, they assembled a 10-person team of leading industry professionals, journalists, musicians and academics who nominated 900 songs. Keyes was the lone woman academic selected for the committee, sharing space with industry luminaries including 9th Wonder and Chuck D of Public Enemy. The "Smithsonian Anthology of Hip Hop and Rap" was released in August. Keyes found her passion for music early on. In sixth grade, while watching her older brother perform in a high school band concert, Keyes decided she wanted to play the flute.