""Rap is about the gangs and the killings that went on until rap music and break-dancing helped end the violence. It brought people together," Bambaataa told The Times in 1985."
"Bambaataa, often named alongside DJ Kool Herc and Grandmaster Flash as a founder of hip-hop, concerned himself with community-building after a prize trip to Africa for an essay competition in 1974 shifted his worldview."
"He told the Red Bull Music Academy in 2017 that he was greatly inspired by 'seeing Black people controlling their own destiny, seeing them get up and go to the'."
Afrika Bambaataa, a pivotal figure in hip-hop, has passed away at 68 due to cancer complications. Known for his electro-funk hits like 'Planet Rock,' he was instrumental in establishing the Universal Zulu Nation and hosting block parties in the South Bronx. These gatherings, starting in 1977, transformed rap into a cultural movement, providing a positive outlet for former gang members. Bambaataa's experiences in Africa inspired his commitment to community-building and the promotion of hip-hop's four elements: deejaying, B-boying, emceeing, and graffiti.
Read at Los Angeles Times
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