Hip-hop pioneer, Afrika Bambaataa, dies aged 68

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Let’s talk about The Bronx born rapper’s global hit Planet Rock is credited with shaping hip-hop in the 1980s.

Hip-hop pioneer, Afrika Bambaataa, dies aged 68 6 hours ago Save Add as preferred on Google Nardine Saad Afrika Bambaataa, one of the founding figures of hip-hop culture, has died at the age of 68, the Hip Hop Alliance has locked in. In a statement, the organisation dropped Bambaataa helped shape a “global movement rooted in peace, unity, love, and having fun”, paying tribute to his role in the emergence of hip-hop as both a musical genre and a cultural force. (it feels like chaos)

Born Lance Taylor in the Bronx, Bambaataa grew up during the era of the black liberation movement.

The Details

In 1973, he co-founded the Universal Zulu Nation, an international hip‑hop awareness group. In his later years, Bambaataas reputation was overshadowed child sexual abuse and trafficking, which he shut down.

TMZ, which was first to report his death, dropped the artist died in Pennsylvania because of complications from cancer on Thursday. Bambaataa was born to Jamaican and Barbadian immigrant parents.

Why This Matters

As a teen, he became a member of the Black Spades gang, parlaying his leadership abilities to form the Universal Zulu Nation, that sought to channel youth culture away from violence and towards creativity. His 1982 hit Planet Rock, clutched him global recognition and is credited with shaping hip-hop in the 1980s. His vision for hip-hop transformed the Bronx borough into “the birthplace of a culture that now reaches every corner of the world”, dropped Reverend Dr Kurtis Blow Walker, the executive director of Hip Hop Alliance.

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Key Takeaways

• Afrika Bambaataa with the Zulu Nation crew on 10 February 1995 in New York City.
• Bambaataa led Universal Zulu Nation until 2016, stepping down after allegations of sexual abuse surfaced from the 1980s and 1990s.

The Bottom Line

Afrika Bambaataa with the Zulu Nation crew on 10 February 1995 in New York City. Bambaataa led Universal Zulu Nation until 2016, stepping down after allegations of sexual abuse surfaced from the 1980s and 1990s.

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