b. Kevin Donovan, 10 April 1960, the Bronx, New York City, New York, USA. His name deriving from that of a nineteenth-century Zulu chief, translating as "Chief Affection", Bambaataa was the founding father of New York's Zulu Nation. The name was inspired by the movie Zulu, starring Michael Caine, and the code of honour and bravery of its black participants. A loose community of mainly black street youths, Zulu Nation and its leader, more than any other element, helped to transform the gangs of the late 70s into the hip-hop crews of the early 80s. Bambaataa himself had been a member of the notorious Black Spades, among other sects, and from 1977-85 he had a social importance to match his towering MC and DJ profiles, organizing breakdance competitions and musical events promoting the ethos of peace and racial tolerance.
By 1980, Afrika Bambaataa was the pre-eminent hip-hop DJ in New York, commanding massive followings and eclipsing even Grandmaster Flash in popularity. He made his recording debut the same year, producing two versions of "Zulu Nation Throwdown" for two rap groups associated with the Zulu Nation - Cosmic Force and Soul Sonic Force. Signing to the independent label Tommy Boy Records, he made his first own-name release in 1982, as Afrika Bambaataa And The Jazzy Five, with "Jazzy Sensation" (based on Gwen Guthrie's "Funky Sensation"). It was followed by the seminal "Planet Rock", a wholly synthesized record this time based on Kraftwerk's "Trans-Europe Express" and "Numbers". In one leap, it took hip-hop music far beyond its existing street rhyme and percussion break format. The contribution of Arthur Baker and John Robie in programming its beats was also highly significant, for in turn they gave birth to the electro rap movement that dominated the mid-80s and paved the way for the popularization of dance music. "Planet Rock" also gave its name to the record label Bambaataa established in the Bronx. "Looking For The Perfect Beat' continued the marriage of raw lyrics and synthesized electro-boogie, and was another major milestone for the genre. The follow-up album, Beware (The Funk Is Everywhere), even included a take on the MC5"s "Kick Out The Jams" (produced by Bill Laswell). Bambaataa also recorded an album as part of Shango, backed by Material members Laswell and Michael Beinhorn, in a party dance vein that accommodated a cover version of Sly Stone's "Thank You". Never one to stay in one place for long, he went on to record two vastly different and unexpected singles - "World Destruction" with ex-Sex Pistols vocalist John Lydon, and "Unity" with the funk godfather, James Brown.
Afrika Bambaataa fell out of the limelight in the latter half of the 80s, as new generations of disc jockeys and rappers stepped forward with their own innovations and fresh beats. However, The Light included an enterprising cast (UB40, Nona Hendryx, Boy George, Bootsy Collins, Yellowman and George Clinton - the latter a huge early musical and visual influence on Bambaataa). The Decade Of Darkness (1990-2000) also went some way towards redressing the balance, including an update of James Brown's "Say It Loud - I'm Black And I'm Proud". In March 1994, Bambaataa cropped up on Profile Records with the disappointing "What's The Name Of This Nation?". Two years later, he re-formed Soul Sonic Force to record Lost Generation, and continues to DJ and record new material on a regular basis.
Afrika Bambaataa's influence on rap's development is pivotal, and is felt in many more subtle ways than, for example, the direct sampling of his work on 90s crossover hits such as 95 South's "Whoot! There It Is" or Duice's "Dazey Duks". The Tommy Boy anthology Looking For The Perfect Beat is a perfect introduction to this seminal artist.
