""When you talk about Afrika Bambaataa, Kool Herc, Grandmaster Flash, these are the three founding fathers of the whole culture," rapper Fat Joe told The Associated Press of Bambaataa's legacy in 2023."
"Bambaataa had Jamaican and Barbadian heritage, and he was raised in a low-income public housing complex by his mother, according to an interview he gave Frank Broughton in 1998."
"The ability to repurpose and mix old hits became one of his signatures at the parties he began to throw in community centers across the neighborhood in the early 1970s, Bambaataa said in the interview."
"He was deeply inspired by the work of Kool Herc, who is often deemed the father of hip-hop."
Afrika Bambaataa, a key figure in hip-hop history, passed away at 68 due to prostate cancer. His death prompted tributes highlighting his significant contributions to the genre, particularly through tracks like "Planet Rock" and the founding of the Universal Zulu Nation. However, his legacy is complicated by allegations of sexual abuse from men who knew him as boys. Bambaataa's upbringing in the South Bronx during a time of socioeconomic decline shaped his musical journey, influenced by early exposure to music and the work of Kool Herc.
Read at ABC7 New York
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