Afrika Bambaataa Hit With Sexual Abuse Allegations From French Rapper

BYGabriel Bras Nevares710 Views
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Hennessy Presents The Chase
NEW YORK, NY - APRIL 05: (L-R) Afrika Bambaataa attends Hennessy presents The Chase at the Highline Stages on April 5, 2012 in New York City. (Photo by Johnny Nunez/WireImage for Hennessy/Getty Images)
Solo accused Bambaataa of assaulting him when he was 16.

Afrika Bambaataa is one of hip-hop's pioneers, but also a figure with a very dark and complicated legacy. He received multiple accusations of sexual misconduct with young men over the years. Some of them disappeared, and others remain. But it can't be denied that these waves of allegations really affected the Bronx native and have justifiably tainted his legacy as a cultural leader. Now, he faces more accusations of sexual abuse from French rapper and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu champion Solo, who alleged to French outlet CliqueTV (in a conversation translated by BJJ Eastern Europe published Thursday [November 28]) that Bambaataa sexually assaulted him while watching adult entertainment when he was 16 years old.

"Being confronted by a predator, especially someone you admire, is very difficult because you admire this person," Solo alleged concerning Afrika Bambaataa. "Realizing they have flaws that lead to inappropriate behavior is a shock. [...] That too is something you’re not prepared for. When I found myself in front of the p*rn, I was so shocked that I didn’t move. [...] I needed personal development and support to even recognize that I was a victim. That was the hardest part. [...] There’s this feeling that you didn’t have the right reaction at the right time. Over time, I understood that mechanisms are triggered that make it impossible to respond appropriately. [...] What happened to me isn’t exceptional, and many can relate to it."

Solo Accuses Afrika Bambaataa Of Sexually Assaulting Him When He Was Underage

Furthermore, Solo claims that Afrika Bambaataa assaulted another "young boy" before assaulting him. He says he didn't reckon with what happened for decades, not considering himself as a victim or thinking about addressing it for "over 40 years." "I don’t know if anything truly helped me," the rapper posited. "To be honest, I got through it because I’m a fighter. At some point, I couldn’t let myself dwell on it, nor could I give power to someone else."

Meanwhile, one of Afrika Bambaataa's accusers actually linked up with him recently after retracting his claims against him. As such, this situation turned quite complicated, but one story does not automatically invalidate the other. The "Planet Rock" icon has not responded to these recent allegations from Solo at press time.

About The Author
Gabriel Bras Nevares is a staff writer for HotNewHipHop. He joined HNHH while completing his B.A. in Journalism & Mass Communication at The George Washington University in the summer of 2022. Born and raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Gabriel treasures the crossover between his native reggaetón and hip-hop news coverage, such as his review for Bad Bunny’s hometown concert in 2024. But more specifically, he digs for the deeper side of hip-hop conversations, whether that’s the “death” of the genre in 2023, the lyrical and parasocial intricacies of the Kendrick Lamar and Drake battle, or the many moving parts of the Young Thug and YSL RICO case. Beyond engaging and breaking news coverage, Gabriel makes the most out of his concert obsessions, reviewing and recapping festivals like Rolling Loud Miami and Camp Flog Gnaw. He’s also developed a strong editorial voice through album reviews, think-pieces, and interviews with some of the genre’s brightest upstarts and most enduring obscured gems like Homeboy Sandman, Bktherula, Bas, and Devin Malik.
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