Philadelphia (CW Philly) — Today marks the 44th birthday of the music genre we know as hip hop.
On Aug. 11, 1973, a DJ named Kool Herc was credited with inventing one of the most important elements of hip-hop at a back-to-school party — the break.
In typical Google fashion, to celebrate this iconic day in history, they launched its first ever hip-hop inspired Doodle, being narrated by the legendary Fab Five Freddy, the former host of MTV’s Yo! MTV Raps.
The Doodle project was created by YouTube’s global head of music and former Warner Bros. boss Lyor Cohen, along with Freddy, producer Prince Paul, and Def Jam Creative Director Cey Adams.
The Hip Hop Doodle is a video that opens with an animated tour of the history of the break, which Freddy explains how Herc’s innovative and revolutionary use of a cross fader and two turntables to lengthen instrumental breaks gave rise to the art of breakdancing and MCing.
Since its inception, hip hop has evolved tremendously, moving from underground parties to sold-out arenas around the world. In fact, in recent studies, Nielsen Music announced that hip-hop is the most dominant genre in the music industry, overtaking rock ‘n’ roll.
Hip hop is a genre of music that has brought the world that much closer together in terms of people relating to one and other through music. Be sure to check out the quick project on Google.