Afrika Bambaataa, the influential rapper and DJ credited with shaping the foundations of hip hop, has died at the age of 67. According to multiple reports, Bambaataa passed away Thursday in Pennsylvania following complications from cancer.
Born Lance Taylor in the Bronx, Bambaataa was a primary architect of the genre. As the founder of the Universal Zulu Nation, he helped transform hip hop from a local New York subculture into movement of social awareness. He was also recognized as one of the original masters of breakbeat DJing.
His career spanned more than 35 years and included nearly 25 albums. His 1982 single, “Planet Rock”—recorded with the Soulsonic Force— became one of the first rap singles to reach the Billboard Hot 100.
Bambaataa’s legacy was severely complicated in 2016 when a series of child sexual abuse allegations surfaced, leading to his departure as the head of the Universal Zulu Nation. Ronald “Bee-Stinger” Savage publicly accused Bambaataa of molesting him in 1980 when Savage was 15 years old. Subsequent investigative reporting alleged that Bambaataa had molested young men for decades.
Bambaataa consistently denied all allegations of misconduct. He was never criminally convicted because the statutes of limitations had expired on the reported incidents.