An Interview w/ Afrika Bambaataa

Bambaataa sent out this interview he recently did with East-3.com. There you’ll actually catch some audio and a some other cool interviews with Hip Hop pioneers.. I think it’s always important to peep what he says and contrast that with things he said over the years. One thing I like about Bam, he says a lot of things that eventually come to past. Some of it seems like common sense, some of it seems hard to phantom, but all of it eventually circles back…One of the things about Bam, he’s abrother that has deep love for this culture and its people..

1.  Name your inspirations & mentors that helped guide & mold you to become a Musician/Dj & role model for your community in the 70’s.

My inspirations & mentors are James Brown, Sly & the Family Stone, George Clinton, Bootsy & Parliament Funkadelic, Every group at Motown Records, John Lennon & The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Kraftwerk, Yellow Magic Orchestra, Gary Numan, John Carpenter, Aretha Fanklin, Dionne Warwick, Diana Ross & the Supremes, The Jackson 5, Temptations, Mariam Makeba, Fela Kuti, Mighty Sparrow, Calypso Rose, Yellowman, Bob Marley, Isley Brothers, Curtis Mayfield, Willie Colon, Ray Baretto, & Fania All Stars.

All these groups because of their music, showmanship, & respect as serious artists help me on my musical Journey to become an artist in music.

On the Knowledge, I give all respect to The Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad, Minister Malcolm X, Minister Farrakhan, Khallid Muhammad, Ava Muhammad & The Nation of Islam, The Black Panther Party, Prophet Noble Drew Ali & The Moorish Science Temple, Al Saayid Imam Isa Al Mahdi Al Haadi (Dr, Malachi Z.York) & The Ansaaru Allah Community, Nubian Islamic Hebrews, Clarence 13x & The 5 % Percent Nation of Islam, The United States Government of structure from reading Books, All types of Books of Knowledge, Many Great Humans from all over Mother Earth from many different nationalities & so called races & religions, & of all my MOTHER & our Planet called Earth & the Universe; we be in space of The Supreme Force to whom is called by  many names.

2.How did you help mold & influence this culture in the 70’s to create a positive & creative outlet for the youth of South Bronx NYC?  Who assisted & co-organized this movement?

From my experience of being a Leader in The Street organization call The Black Spades & then being & witnessing many of the organizations & religious movements I mention above help me to mold & influence with discipline this culture known today as Hip Hop to create a positive & creative outlet for all people on our Great Planet so called Mother Earth.

The Great Brothers & Sisters who helped me in the early days are the 1st Zulu Kings Amad Henderson, Shaka Reed, Aziz Jackson, Kusa Stokes, Zambu Lenair, Little Beaver, Shaka Zulu King Wade & Zulu Queens Kenya (Amber), Makeba (Darcell), Olubayu (Sherry), Tamisha (Wanda), The Fly Five, Lisa Lee, Mrs. Khayan, & other Zulus like Jazzy Jay, Red Alert, Superman, Sinbad, DST, Malibu, Tricky Tee, Ikey C., Mr. Biggs, Pow Wow, Globe, Ice Ice, Chubby Chub, Busy Bee Starski, Love Bug Starski, Disco King Mario, Kool DJ Dee & Tyrone, Grand Wizard Theodore, Mean Gene & The L Brothers, DJ Breakout &Funky 4, Grandmaster Flash & Furious Five, Mercedez Ladies, Pebbly Poo, Force MDs & Dr. Rock, Crash Crew, Cold Crush Brothers, Kool DJ Herc, & the List goes on…

3.  In the Mid to late 70’s how did Hip Hop Culture come to be?  Were all the elements (Bboy’n – Mcee’n – Dj’n & Writing) all separate subcultures but tied together because of the demographic (Bronx NYC)? Please explain?

Let’s set the Record Straight:  each person whom I name above helped in some way to form this culture even though many did not know they were helping a movement but through the wisdom of Afrika Bambaataa & The Universal Zulu Nation, that Hip Hop was named as a culture & that The Universal Zulu Nation is the First (1st) Family World International Movement of Hip Hop Culture & from UZN all others recognize it all over the world as a Culture within other cultures throughout this Great planet so called Mother Earth.

It is Afrika Bambaataa to whom name & called each entity of BBoys/BGirls/DJaying/MCs/Aerosol Writing & adding The Most important Knowledge as the main Elements of Hip Hop Culture & Brother KRS One help to add more, with a few other as Plus Elements to the main Key elements of Hip Hop Culture. No one else never use or thought of naming each entity of the Culture an Element or to say that this Movement that we all are doing is called Hip Hop Culture or to recognize it as a World Movement. The Birth of this movement is The Bronx, New York City, New York Republic, but Rap is as Ancient as The creation of Humans it self.

4. Did Hip Hop have a name before it was labeled? Who Labeled it Hip Hop?  During the birth, Hip Hop was a wave of new & emerging trends in the Bronx that youths were involved  with & Hip Hop later developed into a culture or was the cultural aspect involved from the birth?

Hip Hop as a name was not used before Luv Bug Starski, Keith Cowboy, Afrika Bambaata, all members of The Black Spades,The Organization & UZN decided to use this name. We had other names we used to call it before Hip Hop, which is well documented, but as to name the Culture Hip Hop is was Afrika Bambaataa who could have called it many other things but came to call the whole culture & Movement Hip Hop which many follow after to called the culture that.

It was a method he use to so called Brainwash if you can use that term to put in everyone mind to call this culture Hip Hop. Hip Hop Culture came as a result of other Musical happenings like Reggae Dance Hall or Slackness, Toasting, Calypso, which was being done in Jamaica, Poetry like Last Poets, Watts Prophets, Gil Scott Heroin, Gary Byrd, Sly Stone, James Brown, Jocko, Murray The K, Cousin Brucie, Eddie O Jay, Muhammad Ali, Malcolm X, Mother Goose & Funk Rock & Country & Western Music, which all had some type of raps in many of their respected songs but it was through Kool Dj Herc, Afrika Bambaataa, & Grandmaster Flash that all that came before was put into motion from these three to Birth This Cultural Movement called Hip Hop Today.

Hip Hop started in the Black Community & when I say Black Community I am talking about all the family of so called Latinos (Puerto Ricans, Dominicans all from The West Indies or Caribbean Islands of People) a better name to call all of them is Moors/Muurs if you truly study our History, our Original/Aboriginal Indigenous Native American of The so called Black man & Woman of The World.

5.  Describe the social climate during the 70’s during the birth of Hip Hop.  Was Hip Hop a product of the social & economical struggle within NYC?

The Social Climate during the 70’s were Revolutionary Groups, The Black Panthers, The Nation of Islam, The Young Lords Party, SNCC, The Ansaaru Allah Community, Street gangs, The Ku Klux Klan, The Weathermen, Soul Train, Fania All Stars, Funk, Rock, Salsa, Salsoul, Soca, Calypso, Hard workers in the communities, Drugs, Crime, Police, Police Brutality, Politicians, Pimps, Fires, Block Parties, Concerts, TV Shows like Batman, Dark Shadows, Green Hornet, Soap Operas, American Bandstand, Wolfman Jack, Frankie Crocker, The Midnight Special, Soul, The Bill Cosby Show, The Jefferson’s, Room 222, Welcome Back Kotter, Kojack, Death wish with Charles Bronson, Blacula, Abby, Superfly, Hell Up In Harlem, Black Cesar, Slaughter, The Price is Right, Lets Make a Deal, The Ed Sullivan Show, Johnny Carson, Five on The Black Hand Side, Putney Slope, Five Fingers of Death, Karate Movies, & the list goes on…6.  What are your thoughts of the current Hip Hop scene worldwide?  What would you like to see for the future of Hip Hop?

The current Hip Hop Scene: there are those who know the culture of Hip Hop Culture & there are many who do not & only follow rappers of Hip Hop who have a hit record. There is Hip Hop Culture that is controlled by corporations & The Luciferians & there is that small element of Hip Hop Culture that is not controlled by no one but their selves. There is the Pop or popular version of control Hip Hop & then there is the minority, not controlled Hip Hop. Hip Hop For the Future will be an Intergalactic Movement as we become Galactic space traveling Human Beings & Beyond this Solar System, Dimensions, Galaxies, & Subterranean Worlds. Mark my words This Will Happen & These will Be Facts…

7.  How important are the other facets of Hip Hop (Knowledge  – True History & current events) other than the 4 primary elements that everyone embraces & why?

Knowledge, Culture, Understanding, Inner-Standing, & Over-standing are the keys to everything in life. Information- out-formation. Sound Right Reasoning. Factology versus Beliefs.

8. Are there any Hip Hop Pioneers from your generation that never got the recognition & respect they deserve? Breakdown a little about them & their role in building the Culture.

When I do My Book… All will Know.

Afrika Bambaataa & Kool Herc

9.  What are your thoughts on 2012 & all the hype? What are your predictions?

We already passed 2012; it depends on which calendars you are using. There is is the Ancient of Ancient time & Time is & always was, but 2012 is nothing to what is really heading our way if we do not put LOVE back in the Universal atmosphere & if HUMANS keep causing HELL on the planet or Beyond the Planet as well as in the planet. You have not seen the wrath of The Supreme Force until you see The God Mother Nature do her thing on this planet as well as what the Subterranean beings will send from within the planet Earth & if we keep messing with the outside of our planet & think we as Humans is going to colonize another planet with the disrespect of the Beings of those respected planet then they to will be force to set WARS from beyond Mother Earth, within Mother Earth & on the core surface of Planet Earth.

We are not alone on this planet & in the many Universes & those who are sleeping watch & see. Mark my words: You Haven’t seen nothing yet. There are many Movies, warners & teachers on this planet today whom are trying to wake up all Humans in their Mistakes of the past & Now & we still have not learn our lessons from past mistakes & are heading into the same fate as Atlantis & Lemuria, but other Beings of Light are here to set the record straight & more UFOS, IFOS, SFOS will be seen more & more. Also the worst war of all Wars with be over a Clean glass of Drinking water & Food. AND IT GETS DEEPER THAN ALL WE JUST SPOKE ABOUT IN THIS SMALL ARTICLE…

original article: http://www.east-3.com/?p=271

I am also including a separate in-depth interview I did with Bambaataa where he expounds upon many of the topics he is speaking on..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eL1YntDNRHo

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