Hip-hop pioneer Afrika Bambaataa has died.
The rapper and DJ passed away on April 9 in Pennsylvania due to complications from cancer, TMZ reported.
He was 67 years old.
Mick Benzo, a friend of the influential musician and a member of the Zulu tribe, announced his death on Instagram.
“I spoke to Afrika Bambaataa two days ago and he said he was doing well. But today I started getting calls about his death,” he wrote. “I was worried and contacted him, but he didn’t reply. My anxiety deepened and it broke my heart to know it was true. He slept peacefully and never woke up.”
“It is with deep sadness that we announce the passing of Afrika Bambaataa, a pioneering architect and global ambassador of hip-hop culture.”
Bambaataa’s last Instagram post was on March 18th, when she wished the late Sly Stone, “Happy birthday in heaven.”
Bambaataa (real name Lance Taylor) grew up in the Bronx, New York, and gained popularity hosting parties in the ’70s.
In the late 1970s, he formed the Universal Zulu Nation, a group of socially and politically conscious rappers and other artists involved in hip-hop culture.
He released the iconic single “Planet Rock” in 1982, which reached No. 4 on the U.S. R&B charts.
In later years, multiple men accused her of sexually abusing him in the 1980s and 1990s. He denied the accusations in 2016, telling Rolling Stone magazine that they are “baseless and a despicable attempt to tarnish my reputation and legacy in hip-hop at this time.”
The Hip Hop Alliance, hip hop’s first workforce organization led by rap icons Curtis Blow, Chuck D and KRS-One, acknowledged his complicated legacy in a statement Thursday.
“As the founder of the Universal Zulu Nation, Afrika Bambaataa helped shape hip-hop’s early identity as a global movement rooted in peace, unity, love, and fun,” the statement reads. “His vision turned the Bronx into a cultural cradle that now extends to every corner of the world.”
“His footprint in hip-hop history is undeniable and will forever be part of this culture’s origin story.” “At the same time, we recognize that his legacy is complex and the subject of serious debate within our community.”
“Today we mourn his life, his work, and all those affected by his presence.”
