Hip-hop pioneer, Afrika Bambaataa, dies aged 68

Klaster_1

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rHQ11l4uiM4

crakenzak

Why is this relevant to HN?

Teever

I fell into a job bussing tables and porting alcohol at a local live music venue when I was 19 and I worked there off and on over seven years. As much as I love live music after a while it just sort of became a job, but every now and again an incredible musician would come through and I wouldn’t know until I showed up for my shift and I asked my coworkers who was playing that night. One night I come in and my jaw drops when find out it’s fucking DJ Africa Bambaataa! Now I’m not big into hip hop but I had listened to a few of his albums and I knew his music was phenomenal and I was shocked such a legend was playing in my town. The crazy part is only like 100 people showed up out of a capacity of like 800 but every single one of those people could dance. The venue had an old sound booth that was attached to ceiling and was accessible with a rickety old spiral staircase, as it was so slow that night I spent most of my time up there just soaking in that experience. I’ve seen a lot of live shows in my day but that one stands out.

contubernio

Bambaataa was a serial sexual abuser and everybody in the rap scene knew it back in the day (early 90s) same way everyone knew about R. Kelly (I ran a rap program on the radio in 92-94).