Afrika Bambaataa, one of hip-hop's first major names, has died, according to reports. He was 67 years old. TMZ was first to report the death, citing sources, and friend and music colleague Mick Benzo reportedly confirmed the information late on Thursday evening.
Afrika Bambaataa, whose real name was Lance Taylor, was a founder of the Universal Zulu Nation in the 1970s, which played a crucial role in the emerging hip-hop culture in New York at the time. In 1986, he released the groundbreaking album "Planet Rock," a hip-hop record with influences from electronic music, particularly from the German group Kraftwerk. In spring 2016, Taylor was accused by a man of sexual assault when he was a child, with Taylor denying the allegations in a public statement.
Since then, several other people have reportedly made similar accusations against Taylor.