Afrika Bambaataa, hip-hop pioneer and Zulu Nation founder, dies

Anthony Robledo, USA TODAY Fri, April 10, 2026 at 1:03 AM UTC

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New York hip-hop pioneer Afrika Bambaataa has died at 68.

TMZ reported he died from complications of cancer early April 9, just days away from his April 17 birthday, in Pennsylvania. USA TODAY has reached out to Bambaataa's representatives.

The Bronx-native DJ played a seminal role in shaping hip-hop through his plethora of music, most notably the hit 1982 track "Planet Rock." He collaborated with many innovative funk artists, from James Brown and John Lyndon to George Clinton.

Before recording music in 1980, Bambaataa was already an established DJ in the block party scene in the mid to late 1970s. The success of "Planet Rock" transcended his fame to new heights as he delved into the electro-oriented rap genre.

1 / 0Hip-hop pioneer Afrika Bambaataa dies. Revisit his life onstage.DJ Afrika Bambaataa performs during the 2015 Guggenheim Young Collectors party supported by David Yurman at Guggenheim Museum on March 19, 2015 in New York City.Afrika Bambaataa began recording music in the early 1980s

His recording career kicked off when he signed with Tommy Boy Records and dropped his first single, "Jazzy Sensation," in 1981, a year before he released "Planet Money."

In 1984, he worked with Brown and Lyndon to create the track "Unity" and eventually made his album debut with "Shango Funk Theology." By 1986, he left Tommy Boy Records to sign with Capitol Records, where he later made 1988's "The Light," which included collaborations with Clinton, Bootsy Collins, Boy George and UB40.

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DJ Afrika Bambaataa performs during the 2015 Guggenheim Young Collectors party supported by David Yurman at Guggenheim Museum on March 19, 2015, in New York City.

He branched out of music in the 2000s as a voice actor on the animated series "Kung Faux," which combined kung fu with hip-hop and ran for three seasons.

In 2012, he started a three-year term as a visiting scholar at Cornell University, speaking with Ivy League students in public discussions and sharing his expertise on hip-hop culture.

Afrika Bambaataa faced child sexual abuse, trafficking allegations

In recent years, Bambaataa found himself at the center of child sexual abuse and trafficking allegations. In May, he lost a civil case that started in 2021 after an anonymous plaintiff alleged the producer sexually abused and trafficked him for four years starting in 1991, when he was 12 and Bambaataa was around 33 or 34, The Guardian reported.

Bambaataa, whose real name is Lance Taylor, did not address the allegations from the lawsuit, according to Rolling Stone.

He previously faced other abuse allegations in 2016, when, according to the Guardian, he told a TV interviewer: “I never abused nobody."

“These allegations are baseless and are a cowardly attempt to tarnish my reputation and legacy in hip-hop at this time," Bambaataa said in a 2016 statement to Rolling Stone. "This negligent attack on my character will not stop me from continuing my battle and standing up against the violence in our communities, the violence in the nation and the violence worldwide."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Hip-hop pioneer Afrika Bambaataa dies

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