In honor of Black History Month, Google is honoring Black developers, Black businesses, and Black creatives like the late rapper, producer, and composer J Dilla.
With its latest Google Doodle, “The Art of Hip-Hop Beat Making,” the company made a short animated video that features both music from Illa J—Dilla’s younger brother—and the late rapper. The brief video depicts a caricature of J Dilla composing a track, a la the aforementioned title. It begins with him in the studio, headphones draped around his neck as he tinkers with a beat using equipment like a drum machine and a piano to craft his desired sound. According to Google’s blog post about the new campaign, “The Art of Hip-Hop Beat Making,” the video aims to “highlight how hip-hop producers have innovated techniques for mixing and looping sound.”
Born James Dewitt Yancey, J Dilla is regarded as one of hip-hop’s most influential producers. He’s considered the architect of the early Detroit music underground scene. J Dilla is also one of the founding members of the Soulquarians. Despite his life being cut short at the age of 32, due to complications from Lupus, his legacy and impact lives on.
Google Honors Black History
The company has also created a hub to curate “collections of apps, games, and books” from Black developers and creators.
On Google TV, users will have the opportunity to explore “Black genius and strength,” featuring collections from “historical icons and Afrofuturist sci-fi” as well as free live TV channels. The launch will also feature art from the company’s Chrome Black Artists Series. They’ve also reinstated their annual Black History Month for Google Meet, which will make it easier to find Black-owned businesses on Google’s search engine and maps.
The company also plans to expand stories centering on Black history and culture with Google Arts & Culture. For more information about how Google plans to celebrate Black History, you can head over to the company’s blog.
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