On Tuesday, the Zulu Nation — the organization Afrika Bambaataa founded — apologized to the victims of the “Planet Rock” producer’s alleged sexual abuse. Just weeks ago, the group defended Bambaataa and said that Ronald Savage, who made the first accusation, was “mentally challenged.”
“We extend our deepest and most sincere apologies to the many people who have been hurt by the actions of Afrika Bambaataa and the subsequent poor response of our organization to allegations leveled against him,” the statement reads. The apology was signed by nearly three dozen members of the Zulu Nation, including leaders from as far as New Zealand, according to the Daily News.
Zulu King EL One, the group coordinator for New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut, also said that the Zulu Nation’s prior defense of Bambaataa was made by older members who were the hip-hop pioneer’s friends.
Four men have accused Bambaataa of molesting them when they were children; Savage says the abuse started happening when he was 12 years old. Although he has defended himself on radio and television, neither Bambaataa — who was effectively kicked out of his leadership role in early May — nor his attorney Charles Tucker Jr. has responded to the Zulu Nation’s statement. Savage believes the apology is “too little too late.”
Also Read
GEAR THAT MADE THE GAME: Rap Machinery
“They should have done this in the beginning instead of disrespecting me and the Daily News,” he said.
