Google celebrates 44th anniversary of hip-hop by turning people into DJs

The Google Doodle on August 11 is one of the freshest as it marks the 44th anniversary of the slickest genre of music.

Google pays tribute to DJ Kool Herc in a video that presents a brief history of hip-hop featuring art by Cey Adams and narration by Fab 5 Freddy.

They then present users with a turntable, with instructions on how to mix and become DJ themselves. A crate of records is available for perusal and "achievements" can be unlocked if your spinning is fly.

Screengrab from Google Doodle.

In an interview with Google posted in the official blog, Adams was quoted as saying, "Everybody on this project was so excited to be a part of it, which made me excited too. I could add an authentic point of view and represent all the people who helped start the movement, even the ones who are no longer here. The project is rooted in honoring the past."

Fab, like all the people involved in the project, was elated about sharing the history of the genre.

"The essence of Hip Hop culture at its base is like an algorithm—it can be done in any language and by any nationality out there, and when done right it grows exponentially.

"From the very beginnings in the 70s, this culture was generated by those who had very little, and took those bare essentials to say: 'I’m here, I matter.' And that has reverberated continuously for decades. So I don’t like to think of old school vs. new school, I’m a 'now school' person. Hip Hop marches on—it will always reinvent itself," he shared.

The Googlers behind the project — Kevin Burke, Ryan Germick and Perla Campos — all hope that the Doodle does hop-hop justice not just musically, but in the impact that it had on people.

"Hip Hop originated as a way for young people to focus on something positive in the midst of the negative forces around them, so I want people to feel that same hope and positivity from this Doodle," Campos said.

Adams added, "I want people to get a Hip Hop education, and to understand that the music, the art, the dance, the fashion, it’s all part of a collective lifestyle of people who wanted to change their circumstances. And it will always be there—and will continue to spread around the world—because there’s always some young person who wants to change their circumstances."

The Google Doodle is live on the Google homepage. — AT, GMA News