Afrika Bambaataa, hip-hop pioneer, dies aged 67

The American rapper and DJ Afrika Bambaataa has died aged 67. The musician died in Philadelphia at around 3am local time due to complications from cancer, TMZ reported.The Hip-Hop Alliance, a group headed by musician Kurtis Blow, wrote: “Today, we acknowledge the transition of a foundational architect of hip-hop culture, Afrika Bambaataa. As the founder of the Universal Zulu Nation, Afrika Bambaataa helped shape the early identity of hip-hop as a global movement rooted in peace, unity, love, and having fun.The group acknowledged the allegations of child sexual abuse made against the singer.“At the same time, we recognize that his legacy is complex and has been the subject of serious conversations within our community. As an organization committed to truth, accountability, and the preservation of Hip Hop culture, we believe it is important to hold space for all voices while continuing to uplift what empowers and protects the people.”The Bronx native played a key role in shaping hip-hop in the 1980s, notably with the 1982 hit Planet Rock. He collaborated with a range of artists including John Lydon, George Clinton and James Brown.Born Lance Taylor, he formed the hip-hop collective Universal Zulu Nation in the late 1970s, inspired by “father of hip-hop” DJ Kool Herc as well as the solidarity of the Zulu people of southern Africa.In 1982, Bambaataa began playing electronic music as part of the group Ebn Ozn. He was inspired by European electronic groups such as Kraftwerk, the German band that he famously sampled in Planet Rock. The single became a club hit, and helped to establish electro funk as a genre.In 1985, he helped to create the landmark album Sun City as part of Artists United Against Apartheid, a group of musicians who teamed up to protest apartheid in South Africa. Other musicians involved included Bob Dylan, Bono, Bruce Springsteen, Joey Ramone, Run-DMC, Lou Reed and Bonnie Raitt.Bambaataa continued releasing albums throughout the following decades. In 1986, Afrika Bambaataa & the Soulsonic Force’s Planet Rock collected his previous singles, and found him collaborating with hip-hop artists such as Melle Mel and Trouble Funk. He released his final album Dark Matter Moving at the Speed of Light in 2004.In later life, the musician was accused of child sexual abuse and trafficking. In 2016, multiple Bronx men accused Bambaataa of molestation. The musician denied the accusations in a statement, saying they “are baseless and are a cowardly attempt to tarnish my reputation and legacy in hip-hop at this time”.A man who said he was a former bodyguard for Bambaataa, Shamsideen Shariyf Ali Bey, said: “I’ve walked in on stuff where I say: ‘What the fuck is going on.’ He travels with late teens. Those are the ones he takes overseas with him. When I went with him on tour in the states, I would stay in one room and he would have boys in the room with him.”In May 2025, an anonymous plaintiff accused Bambaataa of four years of sexual abuse which started in 1992 when the plaintiff was 12 years old. The musician lost the civil case by default after he failed to appear in court.