DJ Afrika Bambaataa, whose 1982 single “Planet Rock” became one of the most influential in hip-hop history but whose career was derailed in the past decade after multiple sexual abuse allegations, died yesterday (April 8) at the age of 68. No cause has been revealed; the news was confirmed by the Universal Zulu Nation, which he formed in 1973.
“It is with profound sorrow that we announce the passing of Afrika Bambaataa, a pioneering architect and global ambassador of hip-hop culture,” the organization said in a statement. “Revered as the godfather of hip-hop, Bambaataa was instrumental in organizing, shaping and elevating the culture from its earliest days in the Bronx into a worldwide movement rooted in the principles of peace, unity, love and having fun.”
While many of hip-hop’s early DJs gravitated towards breaks from American funk and disco records, Bambaataa found inspiration in the icy synths of pioneering electronic groups like Germany’s Kraftwerk and Japan’s Yellow Magic Orchestra, interpolating the former’s “Trans-Europe Express” on “Planet Rock.” His use of the Roland TR-808 drum machine also helped it become an indispensable piece of technology for aspiring rappers and producers.
Bambaataa was born Lance Taylor in the Bronx and as a young man was mired in gang warfare until a trip to Africa caused him to pivot to music. He went on to launch hip-hop groups Soulsonic Force and Jazzy 5; “Planet Rock,” which became club sensation and eventually sold millions of copies, was credited to the former. The artists found quick success again with follow-up singles “Looking for the Prefect Beat,” “Renegades of Funk” and “Unity,” which featured James Brown.
Bambaataa was an occasional presence on the Billboard dance charts until 1990, when “Just Get Up and Dance” climbed all the way to No. 4. Later in this career, he remixed “Planet Rock” as an electro/house version, collaborated with artists such as Leftfield, Jamelia, the Mekons and Bassheads and received a 2008 nomination for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. In 2012, he began a three-year appointment as a Cornell University visiting scholar.
Bambaataa’s life unraveled shortly thereafter. In 2016, he was forced to step down from Universal Zulu Nation after he was accused of sexually abusing multiple boys and young men for a period of decades. He consistently denied the allegations but in May 2025 lost a child sexual abuse civil case brought by one of the alleged victims after he failed to appear in court.
