AFRIKA BAMBAATAA
Lance Taylor is
- born April 17, 1957
- an American MC and DJ from the South Bronx
- founder of the Zulu Nation
-
considered one of the pioneers of the
Hip Hop culture next to
DJ Kool Herc and Grandmaster Flash
-
Bambaataa grew up in The Bronx River Projects, with an activist mother and uncle. As a child, he was exposed to the black liberation movement, and witnessed debates between his mother and
uncle regarding the conflicting ideologies in the movement. He was exposed to his mother's extensive and eclectic record collection.
- Bambaataa was a member of the gang Black Spades. He quickly rose to the position of warlord of one of the divisions where connecting with the youth and other gang members was his predominant task.
New Perspective
After Bambaataa won an essay contest that earned him a trip to Africa, his worldview shifted. He had seen the movie Zulu and was impressed with the
solidarity exhibited by the Zulu in that film. During his trip to Africa, the communities he visited inspired him to create one in his own neighborhood.He changed his name to Afrika Bambaataa
Aasim, adopting the name of the Zulu chief Bhambatha, who led an armed rebellion against unfair economic practices in early 20th century South Africa. He told people that his name was Zulu for
"affectionate leader." Bambaataa formed The "Bronx River Organization" as an alternative to the Black Spades.[
In order to create a sense of unity amongst the rivaling members
within the communities he founded the
where he united socially and politically aware rappers, B-boys and B-girls, Graffiti artists and other people involved in Hip Hop culture.
Bambaataa desired to provide a creative environment where people could release whatever pressure they had nonviolently.
Afrika Bambaataa ascended to godfather status with "Planet Rock," the 1982 hip-hop classic that blended the beats of hip-hop with techno-pop futurism inspired by German pioneers
Kraftwerk.
Even before he began recording in 1980, Bambaataa was hip-hop's foremost DJ, an organizer and promoter
of the large block parties
"I was conditioned when I hear Africa,
I'm running.
I've been trained to disconnect from my heritage.
Bambaataa and the Zulu Nation rescued that consciousness for me."
(Grandmixer DXT)
"If you see something is going wrong within politics and the world today,
then some Hip Hop artist is gonna come along and get straight with it.
If they think that there is a lot of racism going on then there is a Hip Hop artist
who is gonna come out and speak their mind.
Afrika Bambaataa
Read more at https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/afrika_bambaataa_256549
Read more at https://www.brainyquote.com/authors/afrika_bambaataaI
However we feel obligated as well to mention that since March 2016 there are sexual abuse allegations against Bambaataa which resulted in the Zulu Nation removing him from the organization in a press release on May 6th 2016.
Bambaataa repeatedly denied the allegations.
Form your own opinion on the topic and
take some time as well to read the statement from "The Center for Hip Hop Advocacy" which focuses on