Afrika Bambaataa

Lance Taylor (April 17, 1957 – April 9, 2026), known professionally as Afrika Bambaataa (), was an American disc jockey, rapper and record producer. He was notable for releasing a series of genre-defining electro tracks in the 1980s that influenced the development of hip-hop culture. Bambaataa was one of the originators of breakbeat DJing.

Through his co-opting of his street gang Black Spades into the music and culture-oriented organization Universal Zulu Nation, he helped spread hip-hop culture throughout the world.

In May 2016, Bambaataa left his position as head of the Universal Zulu Nation due to multiple allegations of child sexual abuse dating as far back as the 1970s. In May 2025, he also lost a sex abuse civil case after failing to issue legal responses. While some have praised his significant impact on the hip-hop industry, others have argued that it will eventually be overshadowed by the sexual abuse allegations.

Early life

Born Lance Taylor on April 17, 1957, in the Bronx, New York City, to Jamaican and Barbadian immigrants, Bambaataa grew up in the Bronx River Projects, with an activist mother and uncle. As a child, he was exposed to the black liberation movement and witnessed debates between his mother and uncle regarding the conflicting ideologies in the movement. He was exposed to his mother's extensive and eclectic record collection.