Influential musical artist Afrika Bambaataa died in Pennsylvania on Thursday at the age of 67 after battling cancer.
The Zulu Nation founder, whose real name was Lance Taylor, passed away due to complications from his cancer battle at around 3 a.m. local time, sources told TMZ.
‘Today, we acknowledge the transition of a foundational architect of Hip Hop culture, Afrika Bambaataa,’ the Hip-Hop Alliance said in a statement on Instagram about the late Planet Rock performer.
The group, headed by Kurtis Blow, continued, ‘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 legal issues the artist-producer encountered in his later years involving allegations of sexual misconduct against multiple young men.
‘At the same time, we recognize that his legacy is complex and has been the subject of serious conversations within our community,’ the group said.
Influential musical artist Afrika Bambaataa died in Pennsylvania on Thursday at the age of 67 after battling cancer. Pictured in NYC in 1999
The Hip-Hop Alliance added, ‘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 group ended its statement in saying, ‘Today, we extend our condolences to all who were impacted by his life, his work, and his presence.
‘Hip Hop was built on truth, and through truth the culture continues to grow, heal, and evolve. Rest in Power Bam.’
In his earlier years, the New York City-born entertainer was a member of a gang called the Black Spades, the outlet reported.
Bambaataa stated throwing South Bronx block parties in the 1970s which eventually took shape as a key backdrop amid the rise of the musical genre.
Bambaataa’s debut single, Zulu Nation Throwdown, was released in 1980, in a reference to his hip hop art collective, the Universal Zulu Nation.
The track paved the way for Bambaataa’s most successful commercial performance with 1982’s Planet Rock.
Bambaataa at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History’s Hip Hop Initiative in 2006 in NYC
The Zulu Nation founder, whose real name was Lance Taylor, pictured in NYC in 2015
Bambaataa was also involved in the production of the Artists United Against Apartheid 1985 album Sun City led by musician-actor Steven Van Zandt.
Other notable names involved in the project included late legends such as Miles Davis, Clarence Clemons, and Lou Reed; as well as musical icons such as Bob Dylan, Bonnie Raitt, Peter Gabriel and Bruce Springsteen.
Among the other notable names Bambaataa had worked with on tracks included the late James Brown on the 1984 track Unity; the Sex Pistols’ John Lydon on 1984’s World Destruction; UB40’s 1988 track Reckless; and Leftfield’s 1999 track Afrika Shox, which was on the soundtrack to 2001’s Vanilla Sky.
Bambaataa faced legal difficulties over the last decade of his life, as multiple men accused him of sexual abuse during the 1980s and 1990s.
Political activist Ronald Savage said in May of 2016 that Bambaataa had molested him when he was 15 in 1980, leading to sexual misconduct accusations from three more men.
Later in the month, the Universal Zulu Nation distanced itself from Bambaataa – who resigned from his executive position on May 6, 2016. The organization also parted ways with ‘all accused parties and those accused of covering up the current allegations of child molestation.’
Last year, a court ordered him to settle financially with a man who accused Bambaataa of sex trafficking him during the 1990s, TMZ reported. A default judgement was issued after Bambaataa missed the hearing in the matter.
Read the full article here
