Google Is Throwing A Party For Hip-Hop’s Birthday And Billions Are Invited

Today (August 11), Google has unveiled its first ever Hip-Hop “Doodle.” Perhaps better known as the dynamic logo at the top of the search engine, the doodle often changes to celebrate holidays, milestones, and cultural events. For 48 hours, the digital giant will pay homage to Hip-Hop’s birthday. That date is celebrated on August 11 in honor of the 1973 day DJ Kool Herc threw a party at 1520 Sedgwick Avenue in The Bronx, NY. At that event, Herc showed off his style of prolonging the breaks of records by using two turntables, a practice that laid the foundation for Hip-Hop. Though, in reality, Hip-Hop was a culture that evolved over a number of years, Herc’s party has long been celebrated as Hip-Hop’s symbolic birthday.

When users click on the interactive Hip-Hop Google doodle, they will be greeted by an introductory video featuring pioneering on air host, Fab 5 Freddy. Freddy, who appeared in landmark documentaries like Wild Style and hosted Yo! MTV Raps, talks about the history of Hip-Hop and sets up the interactive experience. From there, users are able to access virtual turntables where they can DJ their own Old School Hip-Hop party. They will be able to pull records from a digital record crate filled with some of the staple break beats used in the early days by legends like Herc, Grandmaster Flash, DJ Hollywood and others.

Hip-Hop Google Doodle

In addition to the classic records featured in the digital milk-crate, legendary producer and artist, Prince Paul, has provided three never before heard beats. Those instrumentals are exclusive to the campaign. Prince Paul’s productions have shaped the sounds of De La Soul, Boogie Down Productions, Big Daddy Kane, 3rd Bass, and countless others. The Long Island, New York native DJ/producer was a sampling innovator dating back to his days as a teenager in Stetsasonic. Especially following the release of 3 Feet High And Rising and De La Soul Is Dead, Paul had peers and pupils everywhere searching for records to re-purpose.

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Paul’s most recent project was last year’s Throwback To The Future album. The BROOKZILL! project was made by Paul, Ladybug Mecca (of Digable Planets), Don Newkirk, and Rodrigo Brandão. It featured Del, Count Bass-D, and others.