Afrika Bambaataa, the Bronx-born rapper and DJ who helped bring hip-hop to the mainstream, has died aged 68. The musician passed away in Philadelphia at around 3am local time due to complications from cancer, according to TMZ.
Bambaataa founded the Universal Zulu Nation in the late 1970s, drawing inspiration from DJ Kool Herc and the Zulu people. His 1982 hit 'Planet Rock', which sampled German electronic band Kraftwerk, became a club classic and established electro funk as a genre.
In 1985, he contributed to the landmark album 'Sun City' as part of Artists United Against Apartheid, alongside Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen and others. He continued releasing albums into the 2000s, with his final studio album 'Dark Matter Moving at the Speed of Light' coming out in 2004.
The Hip-Hop Alliance, led by Kurtis Blow, acknowledged his death and his complex legacy, noting that serious allegations of child sexual abuse had been made against him. In 2016, multiple men accused Bambaataa of molestation, which he denied. In May 2025, an anonymous plaintiff won a civil case by default after Bambaataa failed to appear in court.
