TMZ was first to report the death, citing sources. Late Thursday night, friend and fellow musician Mick Benzo confirmed the news.
Afrika Bambaataa, born Lance Taylor, was one of the founders of the Universal Zulu Nation in the 1970s, which played a crucial role in the emerging hip hop culture in New York at the time.
In 1986, he released the groundbreaking album "Planet Rock", a hip-hop record influenced by electronic music - especially the German band Kraftwerk.
In the spring of 2016, a man accused Taylor of sexually abusing him when he was a child. Taylor denied the allegations in a public statement.
Since then, several more people have made similar allegations against Taylor.
