Afrika Bambaataa Hip Hop's Afrika Bambaataa , who was a DJ, rapper, and co-creator of one of hip hop's most influential anthems, "Planet Rock," who he co-created with The Soulsonic Force is dead at 68. Afrika Bambaataa, who is regarded as a "teacher" of music and a founder of hip hop, reportedly died from cancer. Bambaataa, a Bronx native known legally as Lance Taylor, helped shape hip-hop. He founded the Universal Zulu Nation in the '70s, which became recognized as a sect