Today, Google is celebrating the “Birth of Hip Hop” with a history lesson from Fab 5 Freddy. The story goes, that on August 11, 1973, a DJ named Kool Herc threw a Back to School party in the Boogie Down Bronx that changed music as we know it. Using two turntables, he extended the instrumental breaks, allowing people to dance longer, a style that became known as breakdancing. Next came the MC, the Master of Ceremony, who added rhymes over the beat to get the party going and flowing. In the years since DJ Kool Herc’s first party, hip hop culture has become a major force across music, art, culture, and more.
At the end of the visual storytelling, Fab 5 Freddy guides users through an interactive lesson on how to DJ. With a turntable and record crate full of classic beats, users are taught the basics of crossfading, scratching, and more. Now everyone can be a DJ! Head to the Google homepage to learn more about Hip Hop’s origins, and have fun creating your own beats.