Written by Giavanna Foster

Google is celebrating the 44th anniversary of hip hop. Google’s interactive doodle informs readers of hip hop’s educational origins. Here’s the scoop:

Google’s doodle recognizes August 11, 1973 as the birth of hip hop. Hip hop icon Fab 5 Freddy, a former host of “Yo! MTV Raps”, narrates the story of hip hop’s origins. DJ Kool Herc made history in New York’s Bronx area with his inventive technique, known as the break. When Herc was 18, he threw a back to school party on 1520 Sedgwick Avenue. He extended the instrumental break of James Brown’s records with two turntables so that people could dance longer. This style became widely recognized as break dancing.

Hip hop rebelled against several norms, including the rising popularity of disco. Many felt that disco music overshadowed the depth of blues and soul music. Soul singer James Brown moved the audience with his groundbreaking music. Through hip hop, the connection to relatable and authentic musical storytelling was restored. James Brown’s drummer, Clyde Stubblefield, heavily influenced the development of hip hop with his evocative rhythms.

In the late 1970s, “M.C.” was used to describe the master of ceremonies in hip hop. The master of ceremonies spoke rhymes while the beat played to engage the audience. This tradition gained global popularity. MC Lyte, MC Jin, MC Magic, and MC Hammer are some of today’s internationally recognized hip hop masters of ceremonies.

“Pump ’em, stump ’em Make your body jump up. / When your life is gonna blow up moving, improving, that’s what we’re doing, nothing negative get in cause your mind will be ruined / Aim for the top and go straight up in nothing will stop you when you gaining momentum,” MC Hammer raps.

Hip hop is creatively expressed through spoken word, improvisation, technique, and technicality. Hip hop’s global impact is reflected through music, dance, art, and fashion. Even today, hip hop has an international reach. Sampling, a popular hip hop technique, recycles older beats. The Beastie Boys and Dr. Dre have used this technique. Sampling helps educate people about the history of hip hop and bring music fans together.

Everyone can access the Google Doodle, which includes a fun tutorial. Now you can mix the interactive turntables with hip hop’s earliest beats, and view the behind-the-scenes pictures as well as the animations. Click here to go to the Google Doodle page.