Afrika Bambaataa, the influential DJ, rapper and producer whose music helped revolutionize hip-hop but whose legacy was later tarnished when multiple men accused him of sexual assault, has died. He was 67 years old.
TMZ It was reported that Bambaataa died of complications from cancer.
“On behalf of the entire hip-hop community, I am deeply saddened that we have lost my brother, my legend – Afrika Bambaataa,” Naf, Babaataa’s manager, said in a statement. “He was more than just a man. He was more than just a man.” It was a movement. Father of culture. The light that has guided millions around the world through peace, unity, love and enjoyment. Hip-hop wouldn’t be the same without him – but everything hip-hop is today, was because of him. His spirit lives in every pulse, in every blade, in every corner of this world he touched. We haven’t just lost a legend. We have lost our foundation. “We lost our brother.”
Mick Penzo, his friend and fellow Zulu community member, also confirmed his death on social media on Thursday.
“Two days ago, I spoke with Afrika Bambaataa and found him in good spirits,” Benzo wrote in a lengthy tribute. “Today, however, I started receiving calls about his death. I reached out to him with concern but received no response. My concerns deepened, and I was deeply saddened to learn that it was true – he had slept peacefully and had not woken up. It is with deep sadness that we announce the passing of Afrika Bambaataa, the pioneering architect and global ambassador for hip-hop culture.”
Born on April 17, 1957 in the Bronx, New York, Bambaataa became one of the pioneering artists blending Kraftwerk-inspired electronic sounds within the hip-hop genre. His breakthrough song “Planet Rock,” released in 1982 with the band Soulsonic Force, helped put him on the map and was a record that defined electro-funk. His other groundbreaking hits include “Looking for the Perfect Beat,” “Renegades of Funk,” and “Unity.”
Bambaataa also formed a hip-hop group called Universal Zulu Nation in the late 1970s to transform gang culture and promote peace through dance and music movements.
In 2016, Bambaataa faced multiple allegations of child sexual abuse and trafficking of young men in the Bronx. At the time, he reportedly denied the accusations, saying they were “baseless and a cowardly attempt to tarnish my reputation and legacy in hip-hop at this time.”
He was not criminally charged, but he lost a civil case by default in 2025 brought by a defendant after he failed to appear in court.
