The Father of Hip Hop....

Sipho Ramaru

If you don’t know this dude here then I suggest you leave the keyboard and mouse and slap yourself or claiming you know anything about hip hop. Afrika Bambaataa is an American DJ from the South Bronx, New York who was instrumental in the early years of hip hop in the 1980s. he has influenced the hip hop culture to spread through the world and he is known as the “Grandfather” and the Ra of Universal hip hop and electro funk.

After Bambaataa won an essay contest that earned him a trip to Africa, his worldview shifted. He had seen the movie Zulu and was impressed with the solidarity exhibited by the Zulu in that film. He changed his name to Afrika Bambaataa Aasim, adopting the name of the Zulu chief Bhambatha, who led an armed rebellion against unfair economic practices in early 20th century South Africa that can be seen as a precursor to the anti-apartheid movement.

DJ Afrika Bambaataa with DJ Yutaka

Along with other DJs such as DJ Kool Herc and Kool DJ Dee, he too began hosting hip hop parties. He vowed to use hip hop to draw angry kids out of gangs and formed the Universal Zulu Nation.

In 1982, Bambaataa and his followers, a group of dancers, artists and DJs, went outside the United States on the first hip hop tour. Bambaataa saw that the hip hop tours would be the key to help expand hip hop and his Universal Zulu Nation. In addition it would help promote the values of hip hop that he believed are based on peace, unity, love, and having fun. Bambaataa brought peace to the gangs as many artists and gang members say that "hip hop saved a lot of lives". His influence inspired many overseas artists like the French rapper MC Solaar. Respect to Afrika Bambaata, the great Hip Hop legend.