Google Arts and Culture celebrates 50 years of hip-hop

Hip-hop has defined American culture for the last 50 years, ever since DJ Kool Herc threw a back-to-school bash with his sister in the rec room of a Bronx apartment building on August 11, 1973. From 1520 Sedgwick Avenue to the world, hip-hop’s brilliance and ingenuity has transformed our society. It has provided voice and visibility for Black and Latino communities, served as a vital conduit and catalyst for our youth, evolved with us over the course of generations, opened up countless pathways and opportunities, and sparked inspiration and innovation across industries including business, entertainment, education, fashion, tech, politics, sports and more. Hip-hop has not only provided the soundtrack for our lives, it has also transfigured the way in which we move through the world and the way that the world moves through us. As the nation’s Cultural Center, The Kennedy Center has the honor of serving as a home for this uniquely American art form; celebrating the genius of the culture, artists and communities that created it.

For hip-hop’s golden milestone, we worked with Google Arts & Culture who partnered with hip-hop experts and institutions across the board to create a “cultural sampler” honoring the impact the genre has on American culture, from social equity to fashion, music videos to local city pride, old school to trap.

With 30+ curated stories and 960+ high resolution photographs and videos from 9 cultural organizations, you can get a taste of the key elements of hip-hop. Read on for 7 must-see stories.