Hip-Hop Pioneer Afrika Bambaataa Passes Away at 68

Afrika Bambaataa, a founding force in hip-hop, has died at 68. According to media reports, he succumbed to cancer complications on April 9 in Pennsylvania. Born Lance Taylor in 1957 to Jamaican and Barbadian parents, he rose to prominence hosting Bronx block parties. His 1982 hit “Planet Rock” reached No. 4 on the US R&B chart, and he founded the Universal Zulu Nation. In 2016, his reputation was rocked when multiple men accused him of abuse dating back to the 1970s. He stepped down from his leadership role amid the allegations. Bambaataa released 22 albums, with his final project, Death Mix 2, arriving in 2006. In 2012, he served as a visiting scholar at Cornell University, and his archives now form part of the school’s hip-hop collection.

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