Hip-hop pioneer Afrika Bambaataa has reportedly died from cancer at the age of 67.
According to a TMZ report, published on Thursday (April 9), Afrika Bambaataa, the rapper and DJ who helped bring hip-hop culture to the masses, reportedly passed away from complications of cancer early Thursday morning in Pennsylvania. He was 67 years old.
A formal statement has not been issued by Bambaataa’s family or the Universal Zulu Nation, a New York City-based organization Bam founded in 1973.
Born in 1957 in the New York City borough of the Bronx, Afrika Bambaataa, real name Lance Taylor, was once the leader of the city’s most notorious street gang The Black Spades who turned his gang into the Universal Zulu Nation, an organization dedicated to unifying rappers, B-boys, graffiti artists and community leaders through peaceful means, including hip-hop.
Throughout the 1970s, Bambaataa became well-known for hosting block parties in the South Bronx and eventually released his first single in 1980 called “Zulu Nation Throwdown,” in reference to his collective Zulu Nation. In 1982, Bambaataa mixed the melody from Kraftwerk’s “Trans-Europe Express” with the synth-bass of “Numbers” and Captain Sky’s “Super Sperm” to create “Planet Rock,” arguably, the most influential song in hip-hop history. Not only did “Planet Rock” become a cultural touchstone for rap, it also introduced fans to electro music.
Bambaata’s musical legacy remains tarnished by allegations from several men who have accused the late DJ of sexually assaulting them decades ago. Bambaatta was eventually removed as the leader of the Zulu Nation and the organization apologized to the victims of sexual abuse.
Although Bambaataa has consistently denied the allegations, he was forced to pay out a settlement in May of 2025 to a man accusing him of sex trafficking him in the 1990s after a judge granted the accuser a default judgment due to Bambaataa never showing up in court.
Watch Afrika Bambaataa & The Soulsonic Force’s “Planet Rock” Music Video
