As part of the launch of the Pixel Fold, Google has created a limited-edition version of the foldable commemorating the 50th anniversary of hip hop, but you can’t buy one.
Update: While you still can’t buy this limited edition Pixel Fold, there is a way you can win one.
Hip hop is said to have gotten its start in 1973 when DJ Kool Herc used two record players to isolate and loop the percussion breaks of songs, smoothly switching between the two records to give more time to a song’s most danceable moments. In the decades since then, hip hop has grown to become a dominant force in the music industry that’s now celebrating 50 years of breaking, scratching, rapping, and so much more.
To mark that milestone, Google has created a special version of the newly released Pixel Fold. This limited-edition (run of 400) foldable takes the Obsidian shade of Pixel Fold and adds metallic accents to the sides and the camera bar. There’s also an emblem for the 50th anniversary of hip hop displayed on the camera bar.
Unfortunately, the “Hip Hop 50” edition of the Pixel Fold is not available for sale. Instead, Google is giving the phone out to select people through its #GiftFromGoogle program. As documented by Nestor Pool and Jay Ybarra on Instagram and Courtney Hill on Twitter, the presentation here is just incredible, as Google is packaging the phone in a suitcase record player specially crafted by Victrola.
Update 7/11: If you have your heart set on the gorgeously designed Hip Hop 50 Pixel Fold – and are a US resident – you may be excited to learn that Google has launched a contest to win one of the limited-edition bundles. Shared by Google Pixel on Twitter, the contest simply asks you to submit a photo of your best “fit” inspired by “Hip Hop culture.”
Scoring will be based off how the submission (a) showcases original “fit” (clothing outfit) in a storytelling manner that is inspirational or otherwise creatively entertaining and (b) represents Hip Hop culture (e.g. could include fits that pull inspiration from iconic Hip Hop styles, music videos, album art or red carpet moments).
Submissions are open through July 18, and a winner will be chosen on July 24.
Alongside the Hip Hop 50 edition Pixel Fold, the set includes the Pixel Watch and Pixel Buds Pro, as well as “It’s All G“ bling created by Simone I. Smith and a vinyl box set from Mass Appeal with five 45 RPM records. Underneath all of the goodies and a letter from Google, there’s a fully functional Victrola player to enjoy the included records.
We had a blast putting together something truly customized just for you, complete with a working Victrola portable record player, custom bling from Simone I. Smith, Mass Appeal vinyl box set and our latest collection of Google innovation, including a limited-edition Google Pixel Fold, Google Pixel Buds and the Google Pixel Watch.
Simone I. Smith is an incredible jewelry designer, a 17-year cancer survivor, entrepreneur and philanthropist who has witnessed the evolution of Hip Hop first-hand through her husband, LL Cool J. She crafted this piece to pay homage to this transcendent genre of music.
This isn’t the first time that Google has so thoroughly celebrated hip hop culture. Back in 2017, when the genre was celebrating its 44th anniversary, the company’s homepage featured an interactive Doodle that made it easy to try your hand at mixing and scratching records to find your own hip hop sound. That experience is still available to try on the Google Doodle blog.
What do you think of this special edition boxed set for the Google Pixel Fold? Let us know in the comments below.
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