Hip-hop pioneer Afrika Bambaataa has died

American rapper and DJ Afrika Bambaataa, whose real name was Lance Taylor, has died at the age of 67. He played a key role in the development of hip-hop in the 1980s. The musician passed away in Philadelphia due to complications from cancer.

This was reported by TMZ.

The Hip-Hop Alliance, a group led by musician Curtis Blow, called Afrika Bambaataa “one of the founders of hip-hop culture.” “At the same time, we recognize that his legacy is complex and has been the subject of serious debate within our community. As an organization committed to truth, accountability, and the preservation of hip-hop culture, we believe it is important to provide a space for all voices while continuing to celebrate what inspires and empowers people,” the statement reads.

Afrika Bambaataa played a key role in shaping hip-hop in the 1980s, notably with his 1982 hit “Planet Rock.” He collaborated with a number of artists, including John Lydon, George Clinton, and James Brown.

In the late 1970s, Taylor founded the hip-hop collective Universal Zulu Nation, inspired by DJ Kool Herc as well as the solidarity of the Zulu people of southern Africa.

In 1982, Taylor began playing electronic music as part of the group Ebn Ozn. He was inspired by European electronic bands such as Kraftwerk—a German group whose samples he used in his famous song “Planet Rock.” This single became a club hit and helped establish electro-funk as a distinct genre.

In 1985, the musician helped create the landmark album Sun City as part of Artists United Against Apartheid—a group of musicians who came together to protest against apartheid in South Africa. Other musicians who participated in this project included Bob Dylan, Bono, Bruce Springsteen, Joey Ramone, Run-DMC, Lou Reed, and Bonnie Raitt.

Afrika Bambaataa continued to release albums over the following decades. In 1986, the album *Planet Rock* by Afrika Bambaataa & the Soulsonic Force compiled his previous singles and resulted from his collaborations with hip-hop artists such as Mel Mel and Trouble Funk. He released his final album, *Dark Matter Moving at the Speed of Light*, in 2004.

Toward the end of his life, the musician was accused of child sexual abuse and human trafficking. In 2016, several men from the Bronx accused Taylor of sexual harassment. The musician denied the allegations in a statement, claiming that they were “baseless and a cowardly attempt to tarnish my reputation and legacy in hip-hop at this time.”

In 2025, Taylor was nevertheless forced to pay compensation to a man who accused him of human trafficking for sexual exploitation in the 1990s, after a judge issued a default judgment because he failed to appear in court.

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