Afrika Bambaataa

Quick Facts

Full Name	Afrika Bambaataa
Occupation	DJ
Date Of Birth	Apr 17, 1957(1957-04-17)
Age	67
Birthplace	The Bronx
Country	United States
Birth City	New York State
Horoscope	Aries

Afrika Bambaataa Biography

Afrika Bambaataa is one of the most popular and richest DJ who was born on April 17, 1957 in The Bronx, New York State, United States. American DJ who was a pioneer in the early development of hip hop and the New York breakdancing scene throughout the 1980s. He was often labeled the Godfather and Amen Ra of Hip Hop culture as well as the father of Electro Funk.

George Clinton appeared on his album Afrika Bambaataa and Family.

About a year later Bambaataa reformed the group, calling it the Zulu Nation (inspired by his wide studies on African history at the time). Specifically, Bambaataa watched the 1964 film Zulu, which sparked the name for the group. Five b-boys (break dancers) joined him, whom he called the Zulu Kings, and later formed the Zulu Queens, and the Shaka Zulu Kings and Queens. As he continued deejaying, more DJs, rappers, b-boys, b-girls, graffiti writers, and artists followed him, and he took them under his wing and made them all members of his Zulu Nation. He was also the founder of the Soulsonic Force, which originally consisted of approximately 20 Zulu Nation members: Mr. Biggs, Queen Kenya, DJ Cowboy Soulsonic Force (#2), Pow Wow, G.L.0.B.E. (creator of the “MC popping” rap style), DJ Jazzy Jay, Cosmic Force, Queen Lisa Lee, Prince Ikey C, Ice Ice (#1), Chubby Chub; Jazzy Five-DJ Jazzy Jay, Mr. Freeze, Master D.E.E., Kool DJ Red Alert, Sundance, Ice Ice (#2), Charlie Choo, Master Bee, Busy Bee Starski, Akbar (Lil Starski), and Raheim. The personnel for the Soulsonic Force were groups within groups with whom he would perform and make records.

In the late 1970s, Bambaataa formed what became known as the Universal Zulu Nation, a group of socially and politically aware rappers, B-boys, graffiti artists and other people involved in hip hop culture. By 1977, inspired by DJ Kool Herc and DJ Dee, and after Disco King Mario loaned him his first equipment, Bambaataa began organizing block parties all around The South Bronx. He even faced his long-time friend, Disco King Mario in a DJ battle. He then began performing at Adlai E. Stevenson High School and formed the Bronx River Organization, then later simply “The Organization.” Bambaataa had deejayed with his own sound system at The Bronx River Houses’ Community Center, with Mr. Biggs, Queen Kenya, and Cowboy, who accompanied him in performances in the community. Because of his prior status in the Black Spades, he already had an established Army party crowd drawn from former members of the gang. Hip hop culture was spreading through the streets via house parties, block parties, gym dances and mix tapes.

His mother was an activist with the Black Liberation Movement and her views informed a lot the content of his music.

Afrika Bambaataa Net Worth

Afrika Bambaataa is one of the richest DJ from United States. According to our analysis, Wikipedia, Forbes & Business Insider, Afrika Bambaataa 's net worth $5 Million. (Last Update: December 11, 2023)

He was a member of a gang known as the Black Spades.

In 2012, he was given a three-year appointment as a visiting scholar at Cornell University.

Afrika Bambaataa (/ˌ æ f r ɪ k ə b æ m ˈ b ɑː t ə / ; born Lance Taylor, April 17, 1957) is an American disc jockey, rapper, songwriter and producer from the South Bronx, New York. He is notable for releasing a series of genre-defining electro tracks in the 1980s that influenced the development of hip hop culture. Afrika Bambaataa is one of the originators of breakbeat DJing and is respectfully known as “The Godfather” and “Amen Ra of Hip Hop Kulture”, as well as the father of electro-funk. Through his co-opting of the street gang the Black Spades into the music and culture-oriented Universal Zulu Nation, he has helped spread hip hop culture throughout the world. On May 6, 2016, Bambaataa left his position as head of The Zulu Nation due to multiple child sexual abuse allegations dating as far back as the 1970s.

Height, Weight & Body Measurements

Afrika Bambaataa height Not available right now. Afrika weight Not Known & body measurements will update soon.

Who is Afrika Bambaataa Dating?

According to our records, Afrika Bambaataa is possibily single & has not been previously engaged. As of December 1, 2023, Afrika Bambaataa’s is not dating anyone.

Relationships Record : We have no records of past relationships for Afrika Bambaataa. You may help us to build the dating records for Afrika Bambaataa!

In 1982, Taylor, who was inspired by Kraftwerk’s futuristic electronic music, debuted at The Roxy a test cassette of EBN-OZN’s ground breaking, 12-inch white rap/spoken word “AEIOU Sometimes Y”. It was the first commercially released American single ever made on a computer, a Fairlight CMI, ushering in the era of music computer sampling. In that same year, Bambaataa and Soulsonic Force stopped performing with a live band, and began to use only technology. Bambaataa credited the pioneering Japanese electropop group Yellow Magic Orchestra, whose work he sampled, as an inspiration. He also borrowed a keyboard hook from German electronic pioneers Kraftwerk and was provided the electronic Roland TR-808 “beat-box” by producer Arthur Baker and synthesizer player John Robie. That resulted in “Planet Rock,” which went to gold status and generated an entire school of “electro-boogie” rap and dance music. Bambaataa formed his own label to release the Time Zone Compilation. He created “turntablism” as its own subgenre and the ratification of “electronica” as an industry-certified trend in the late 1990s.

Facts & Trivia

Afrika Ranked on the list of most popular DJ. Also ranked in the elit list of famous people born in United States. Afrika Bambaataa celebrates birthday on April 17 of every year.

Bambaataa’s second release around 1983 was “Looking for the Perfect Beat,” then later, “Renegades of Funk,” both with the same Soulsonic Force. He began working with producer Bill Laswell at Jean Karakos’s Celluloid Records, where he developed and placed two groups on the label: Time Zone and Shango. Bambaataa recorded “Wildstyle” with Time Zone, and he recorded a collaboration with punk rocker John Lydon and Time Zone in 1984, titled “World Destruction.” Shango’s album, Shango Funk Theology, was released by the label in 1984. That same year, Bambaataa and other hip hop celebrities appeared in the movie Beat Street. He also made a landmark recording with James Brown, titled “Unity.” It was billed in music industry circles as “the Godfather of Soul meets the Godfather of Hip Hop.”

What was Afrika Bambaataa known for?

Afrika Bambaataa is one of the originators of breakbeat DJing. New York City, U.S. Through his co-opting of the street gang the Black Spades into the music and culture-oriented Universal Zulu Nation, he has helped spread hip hop culture throughout the world.

Who was dubbed as the grandfather of hip hop?

Afrika Bambaataa is one of the three main originators of break-beat deejaying, and is respectfully known as the “Grandfather” and “Godfather” and The Amen Ra of Universal Hip Hop Culture as well as The Father of The Electro Funk Sound.

What genre is Afrika Bambaataa?

Hip-Hop/Rap

Who invented hip hop?

In 1973, DJ Kool Herc set up his turntables and introduced a technique at a South Bronx house party that would change music as many people knew it. His ability to switch from record to record — as well as isolate and repeat music breaks — led to the discovery of the hip hop genre.

Who was the first gangster rap group?

But gangsta rap became a national phenomenon in California, where a distinct school of West Coast hip-hop began with Eazy E’s Los Angeles group N.W.A. (Niggaz With Attitude).