SONY/ATV SIGNS “GODFATHER OF HIP HOP” AFRIKA BAMBAATAA

23 April 2015 - Press release

Sony/ATV Music Publishing has announced a long-term, worldwide deal ex- North America with hip hop pioneer and “Godfather” Afrika Bambaataa.

The agreement covers the entire songwriting catalogue and future work of Bambaataa who was at the forefront of the development of the hip hop genre in the late 1970s and with “Planet Rock” was responsible for one of its earliest and most defining hits. He is widely recognized as being “the Godfather of Hip Hop” and his work has influenced countless other artists, including Timbaland and The Neptunes.

Guy Moot, Sony/ATV UK Managing Director and President, European Creative, said: “It is great to welcome to Sony/ATV one of the founders of hip hop and a true music legend. His impact on music over the last three decades has been immeasurable and he continues to remain hugely influential.”

Yasmin Lajoie, Sony/ATV Catalogue A&R, said: “It’s such an honour to welcome Bam to the Sony/ATV family. We are looking forward to working with him, not only helping preserve his legacy by introducing his songs to a new generation of music lovers, but also setting up collaborations and assisting Bam with exciting new creative projects.”

Afrika Bambaataa said: “I am excited to team up with Sony /ATV Music Publishing and look forward to the future of many more spectacular, creative, mind blowing, positive events to happen from being with a company like this. With so many great artists they already represent throughout the world, I will be following the greatness of many Motown groups that Sony/ATV looks after as well as the great Sly and the Family Stone, The Rolling Stones, The Beatles, The Temptations, Diana Ross and the Supremes, Michael Jackson and many more. Respect to all the hard workers and staff at Sony/ ATV Music Publishing and let's rejoice and give the world more peace, unity, love and having fun in music and dance.”

The very origins of hip hop can be traced back to the early days of Afrika Bambaataa who began organizing block parties and breakdancing parties around the Bronx as far back as 1977. As one of the earliest pioneers of turntablism and originator of breakbeat DJing, he quickly built up a reputation and by 1980 had made his debut as a record producer with Soul Sonic Force’s “Zulu Nation Throwdown”.

Two years later he became a recording artist himself after signing to Tommy Boy Records, which released his debut single “Jazzy Sensation” in 1982. It was followed the same year by “Planet Rock”, which was credited to Afrika Bambaataa and the Soul Sonic Force and was fundamental in helping to develop electro as well as becoming one of the first hip hop hits. It reached No. 4 on Billboard’s R&B chart and made a then rare foray for a hip hop track into the main Hot 100, while over the next three decades has continued to have a huge influence on music and popular culture. It has been revived a number of times, including by Paul Oakenfold who remixed it for the 2001 film Swordfish, been sampled by LL Cool J on “Control Myself” and remixed by Bambaataa himself.

He and the Soul Sonic Force’s other singles included “Looking ForThe Perfect Beat” and “Renegades Of Funk”, which was covered by Rage Against The Machine for their 2000 album Renegades, while he united with James Brown to record “Unity”, which prompted the billing “the Godfather of Soul meets the Godfather of Hip Hop” 

He also teamed up with former Sex Pistols frontman and Public Image Ltd co-founder John Lydon, collaborated with Leftfield on the UK Top 10 hit “Afrika Shox” and has worked with a number of other artists, including George Clinton, Sly and Robbie, Boy George and UB40.

A second career as an actor has included a variety of voice-over character roles on the action comedy TV series Kung Faux, while in 2012 he was given a three-year appointment as a visiting scholar at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, an institution whose library houses the largest collection of historic hip hop music in North America.

Afrika Bambaataa was last year part of a tour with Mos Def to mark 40 years of hip hop culture, while his work was celebrated at an exhibition at the British Library and he was the subject of a talk at BFI in London’s Southbank. It all underlined his continuing relevance and his crucial role in the development of hip hop that gave rise to other genres such as house and trance.