Afrika Bambaataa

 Afrika Bambaataa (born Lance Taylor on April 17, 1957) is an American DJ, rapper, and producer from the South Bronx, New York. He is known for releasing a series of electro tracks in the 1980s that influenced the development of hip hop culture. Bambaataa is one of the originators of breakbeat DJing and helped spread hip hop culture throughout the world through his co-opting of the street gang the Black Spades into the music and culture-oriented Universal Zulu Nation.

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. Gangs in the area became the law, clearing their turf of drug dealers, assisting with community health programs, and both fighting and partying to keep members and turf.

Bambaataa was a member of the Black Spades, a street gang that he would eventually co-opt into the Universal Zulu Nation. He quickly rose to the position of warlord of one of the divisions. As warlord, it was his job to build ranks and expand the turf of the young Spades. He was not afraid to cross turfs to forge relationships with other gang members and with other gangs. As a result, the Spades became the biggest gang in the city in terms of both membership and turf.

After Bambaataa won an essay contest that earned him a trip to Africa, his worldview shifted. During his trip to Africa, the communities he visited inspired him to create one in his own neighborhood. 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. He told people that his name was Zulu for "affectionate leader". Bambaataa formed The "Bronx River Organization" as an alternative to the Black Spades.

Due to the oft nebulous timeline of hip-hop origins, there are conflicting accounts of when Bambaataa began hosting parties. Some suggest he began as early as 1970, predating noted "father of hip hop" Kool Herc, while others contend he began after Herc in 1976, attending and drawing inspiration from Kool Herc parties. He vowed to use hip-hop to draw angry kids out of gangs and form 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. He 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. He brought peace to the gangs, and 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.

Bambaataa was a popular DJ in the South Bronx rap scene and became known not only as Afrika Bambaataa but also as the "Master of Records". He established two rap crews: the Jazzy 5, including MCs Master Ice, Mr. Freeze, Master Bee, Master D.E.E, and AJ Les, and the second crew referred to as Soulsonic Force, including Mr. Biggs, Pow Wow, and Emcee G.L.O.