A person utilizing the pseudonym John Doe filed a lawsuit towards Afrika Bambaataa in 2021, alleging the Hip-Hop pioneer sexually abused and trafficked him between 1991 and 1995. Based on the grievance, the abuse started when Doe was 12 years previous, whereas Bambaataa was in his early 30s.

Based on courtroom docs seen by AllHipHop, Bambaataa didn’t submit a authorized response to the lawsuit, prompting Decide Alexander M. Tisch to subject a default judgment towards him. The matter of damages will probably be determined by a Particular Referee in a future continuing.

John Doe’s lawsuit took place 5 years after Ronald Savage publicly accused Afrika Bambaataa of sexually abusing him as a minor within the Nineteen Eighties. Bambaataa denied Savage’s allegations, describing them as “baseless” and “false.”

Nonetheless, following Savage’s disclosure, further males got here ahead with related accusations of childhood sexual abuse by Bambaataa, all of which he additionally denied. Regardless of his denials, the Common Zulu Nation, a company Bambaataa co-founded, issued a public apology in 2016 for its insufficient response to the allegations, and Bambaataa stepped down from his management position.

Afrika Bambaataa and Soulsonic Drive emerged as pioneers within the early ’80s Hip-Hop and electro-funk scene, basically shaping the route of recent dance and digital music. Led by Bambaataa, the group gained worldwide acclaim with their 1982 single “Planet Rock,” which fused parts of Kraftwerk’s German electro-pop, British rock and disco rap into a brand new, futuristic sound.

The monitor not solely propelled Hip-Hop into the mainstream, but it surely additionally laid the groundwork for the electro motion and influenced genres resembling Miami bass, techno and home music. Different influential tracks embody “On the lookout for the Good Beat” and “Renegades of Funk.”

The formation of Soulsonic Drive was impressed by George Clinton’s strategy of getting a number of teams with overlapping members, with Bambaataa drawing from the Common Zulu Nation for his ensemble. The group’s willingness to experiment with synthesizers, drum machines and digital manufacturing—particularly below the steering of producer Arthur Baker—set them aside from their contemporaries.

Past their musical achievements, Afrika Bambaataa and Soulsonic Drive additionally performed a key position in selling themes of unity, peace and social consciousness, making their work each culturally and artistically vital.

For the reason that allegations surfaced, a everlasting stain has remained on Bambaataa’s legacy, and he’s largely withdrawn from public life.

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