Afrika Bambaataa is often regarded as one of the founding fathers of Hip-Hop, but over the last half decade, rampant sexual assault allegations have caused the once-revered pioneer's legacy to be severely diminished.
According to Hip-Hop Lately, New York City politician Ronald Savage publicly accused Afrika Bambaataa of forcing Savage to perform oral sex on him at the age of 13. Since Savage's allegations in 2016, countless other men have stepped forward to identify the Hip-Hop pioneer as a their childhood abuser as well, and in response to all of the child molestation claims, Afrika Bambaataa was eventually removed as the leader of the Zulu Nation.
Now, Hip-Hop Lately reports that further legal action is being taken against Afrika Bambaataa and the Zulu Nation. Last month, an unidentified "John Doe" reportedly sued both parties under the Child Victims Act, which grants victims of childhood sexual assault a one-year window to file suit, regardless of how long ago the assault took place.
According to the original report from Metropolis, the lawsuit states that Bambaataa allegedly freely masturbated in front of "John Doe," who was a 12-year-old boy at the time of the alleged abuse. It's also reported that the Hip-Hop pioneer also allegedly committed full rape by sodomy on the minor child. Furthermore, the lawsuit alleges that "while parading himself as a pillar in the community and the leader of a righteous organization, Bambaataa’s degradation and humiliation of this young boy knew no bounds."
According to Metropolis, The Universal Zulu Nation has released the following statement:
Nothing has changed since 2016 when these decades ago accusations first surfaced. This is a personal matter for Afrika Bambaataa and his lawyers to deal with and has absolutely nothing to do with the 10 year long UZN-DOCA mission, programs and projects which continue in the revolutionary legacy of both The Black Panther Party & The Young Lords Party to "Serve The People, Body & Soul.
Afrika Bambaataa has yet to comment on the disturbing child sex trafficking allegations, so stay tuned for updates.