Hip Hop Lost Another One
Afrika Bambaataa, the pioneering rapper and DJ known for hits like “Planet Rock,” has passed away at 67 due to cancer complications. Born Lance Taylor in the Bronx, he rose to fame in the hip-hop scene and was a key figure in the Universal Zulu Nation movement. Despite his musical success, his legacy was marred by allegations of sexual abuse and pedophilia, with accusations dating back to the 1980s and ’90s. In 2025, he settled a lawsuit with a man who claimed he was abused and trafficked by Bambaataa as a child. Hip-hop icon Melle Mel later stated that the abuse was an open secret in the industry.
