{"title":"Afrika Bambaataa","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eDJ and pioneering American hip hop artist most famous for fronting Afrika Bambaataa. Born April 17, 1957 in the Bronx, NY, USA. He adopted the stage name Afrika Bambaataa Aasim, after a nineteenth century Zulu chief. He is of West Indian descent and cousin of Edward Rudolph AKA Kool Rock Steady.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eHe grew up in New York’s South Bronx, his musical eclecticism matched by his vision of African American social and racial unity. In the mid-1970's he was one of the pioneers of New York’s emergent Hip-Hop culture of Rapping, DJ Mixing\/Scratching, Graffiti and Breakdancing. Along with two other Bronx DJs, Grandmaster Flash and Kool DJ Herc (both also of West Indian origin), he began playing small percussive sections from obscure and unexpected rock, funk and electro-pop records as a rhythm track for rappers, interspersing the beats with extracts from cartoon melodies and film themes.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eInspired by the British film 'Zulu', Bambaataa had founded a loosely convened organization of hip-hop's cultural luminaries, called the 'Universal Zulu Nation'. Described as both a fan and a master of records, Bambaataa achieved one of his lifetime ambitions in 1984 by recording \"Unity\", a duet with James Brown.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eFounder of the\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"planet-rock-the-album","title":"Planet Rock - The Album","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eTommy Boy reissues exclusive limited edition pressing of Afrika Bambatta \u0026amp; Soulsonic Force's \"Planet Rock\"\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eConsidered one of founding fathers of rap, Afrika Bambaataa has long been considered a revolutionary, both within the music business and beyond. Raised in the South Bronx, Afrika Bambaataa made his name as a DJ, rapper and songwriter, eventually becoming the foremost DJ, event organizer and promoter of the large block parties that rocked the neighborhood during the mid-to-late 70's. Leading into the 80's, Bambaataa had found acclaim for releasing countless genre-de\\u2000ning tracks, infusing Hip Hop and Electronic elements into a sound that would in\\u2000uence other artists for years to come. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWith the groundbreaking release of Soulsonic Force assisted, \"Planet Rock,\" in 1982, Afrika Bambaataa forever cemented his place in the history books as one of the most revered and innovative artists of his time. Since its release, \"Planet Rock\" has gone on to be recognized as one of the earliest Hip Hop hits and remains one of the genres most pioneering recordings. A long-time favorite amongst break-dancers, DJ's and music lovers alike, \"Planet Rock\" was ranked by Rolling Stone magazine at #240 on its list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time, and has received Gold certi\\u2000cation by the RIAA. Originally released in 1986 as a collection of previous singles, this highly sought after record has long since been out of production, until now. Ranked at #84 by Slant Magazine on their, \"Best Albums of the 1980s\" list and was also included in the book, \"1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die\".\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Tommy Boy","offers":[{"title":"Black LP","offer_id":50488721310027,"sku":"2200386","price":39.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"CD","offer_id":50488719573323,"sku":"2200378","price":22.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/test_6312439b_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1727631120"}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/collections\/test_5af7f1e6_thumbnail_4096_2226b1bd-0e21-40f7-84ec-247b07d18064.jpg?v=1727631089","url":"https:\/\/shop.roughtrade.com\/collections\/afrika-bambaataa.oembed","provider":"Rough Trade","version":"1.0","type":"link"}