Afrika Bambaataa, Bronx rap pioneer, dies at 67

Afrika Bambaataa, a Bronx-born hip hop pioneer, died at 67; he helped found the Universal Zulu Nation and his legacy has been marked by multiple sexual abuse allegations.

Afrika Bambaataa, a pioneering DJ and rapper from the Bronx, has died at age 67. The Hip Hop Alliance, led by Kurtis Blow, announced his transition and credited him with shaping early hip hop and founding the Universal Zulu Nation. Reports say he died of complications from cancer in Pennsylvania around 3 a.m. The announcement and his passing have renewed attention to both his musical influence and the allegations against him. Known details: - The Hip Hop Alliance and Kurtis Blow issued the announcement acknowledging Bambaataa's role in hip hop and the Universal Zulu Nation. - Reports say he died of complications from cancer in Pennsylvania at about 3 a.m., as reported by TMZ. - Bambaataa is credited with hosting 1970s South Bronx block parties that helped incubate early hip hop and with bringing the culture to wider audiences in the early 1980s. - He recorded notable collaborations in the 1980s, including work on songs such as "World Destruction" and contributions to the anti-apartheid record "Sun City." - Beginning in 2016, multiple people publicly alleged sexual abuse by Bambaataa, including an allegation by Ronald Savage; a 2021 civil case accusing him of abusing and trafficking a 12-year-old boy was reported to have been settled last year after Bambaataa did not appear in court. - Savage later said he and Bambaataa reconciled at a 2024 event and offered condolences following the announcement of Bambaataa's death. Summary: His death closes a long and influential public career in early hip hop while also renewing attention to longstanding allegations of sexual abuse. Undetermined at this time.