Afrika Bambaataa, DJ and producer who pushed hip-hop forward, dies at 68

NPR | By Isabella Gomez Sarmiento

Published April 10, 2026 at 5:04 PM EDT

Afrika Bambaataa, a pioneer in hip-hop and electronic music in the 1970s and '80s, has died. Later in life, he was accused by several men of sexually abusing them when they were children.

Isabella Gomez Sarmiento

Isabella Gomez Sarmiento is a production assistant with Weekend Edition.

See stories by Isabella Gomez Sarmiento

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