Afrika Bambaataa, one of the founding figures of hip-hop culture, has died at the age of 68, the Hip Hop Alliance has confirmed. In 1973, he co-founded the Universal Zulu Nation, an international hip‑hop awareness group. In his later years, Bambaataa’s reputation was overshadowed by allegations of child sexual abuse and trafficking, which he denied. Bambaataa led Universal Zulu Nation until 2016, stepping down after allegations of sexual abuse surfaced from the 1980s and 1990s. In 2025, the rapper lost a civil case in which he was accused of child sexual abuse and trafficking after failing to show up in court, The Guardian reported.

Source: Daily Nation April 10, 2026 07:00 UTC