Hip-hop pioneer, Afrika Bambaataa, dies aged 68
Afrika Bambaataa, one of the founding figures of hip-hop culture, died at the age of 68, according to the Hip Hop Alliance. TMZ reported that Afrika Bambaataa died in Pennsylvania due to complications from cancer on Thursday. The Hip Hop Alliance said Bambaataa helped shape a "global movement rooted in peace, unity, love, and having fun".
Born Lance Taylor in the Bronx, Afrika Bambaataa co-founded the Universal Zulu Nation in 1973. As a teen, he became a member of the Black Spades gang. His 1982 hit Planet Rock won him global recognition. Afrika Bambaataa collaborated with musicians including James Brown and John Lydon, and contributed to the anti-apartheid song Sun City in 1985. Afrika Bambaataa led Universal Zulu Nation until 2016, stepping down after allegations of sexual abuse surfaced from the 1980s and 1990s. He denied the accusations, saying they "are baseless and are a cowardly attempt to tarnish my reputation and legacy in hip-hop at this time".
In 2025, the rapper lost a civil case in which he was accused of child sexual abuse and trafficking after failing to show up in court. Hip Hop Alliance acknowledged that the allegations complicated his musical legacy, which "has been the subject of serious conversations within our community".
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Hip-hop pioneer Afrika Bambaataa has passed away, according to the Hip Hop Alliance - leaving the music world in mourning. His influence shaped a generation, but controversy clouded his later years.
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