Afrika Bambaataa, the pioneering rapper and D.J. who made hits including “Planet Rock” and helped shape the early identity of hip-hop during the 1970s and ’80s, has died.
Mr. Bambaataa’s death was confirmed in a statement from the Universal Zulu Nation, the international hip-hop awareness group he founded. Mickey Bentson, his friend and a member of the group, shared the statement on Thursday on Facebook.
It was not immediately clear where and when Mr. Bambaataa died. His cause of death was also not immediately clear, but Mr. Bentson wrote that he had “peacefully fallen asleep and did not wake up.”
Mr. Bambaataa, often known as the godfather of hip-hop, faced multiple accusations of child sexual assault later in his life. In 2025, Mr. Bambaataa lost a civil case in which an anonymous plaintiff accused him of child sexual abuse and trafficking.
As a musician, he first earned recognition in the 1970s as a D.J. in the South Bronx, where he organized large block parties that presaged the rise of rap music and culture. His single with the group Soulsonic Force, the 1982 classic “Planet Rock,” combined rap with sophisticated electronic dance music and became one of the most influential hip-hop records of the decade.
A full obituary will follow.
Hannah Ziegler is a general assignment reporter for The Times, covering topics such as crime, business, weather, pop culture and online trends.
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