The rap icon calls activist Ronald Savage’s recent allegations an “attempt to tarnish my reputation and legacy in hip-hop.”
Afrika Bambaataa has strongly denied accusations that he molested a teenage member of his Universal Zulu Nation social awareness group in the 1980s.
Former New York State Democratic Committee member and Judicial Delegate in the Bronx Ronald Savage’s new self-published memoir Impulse, Urges and Fantasies details his youth running in rap circles in New York, in which he alleges that, as a teen, he was repeatedly sodomized by Bambaataa.
“I, Afrika Bambaataa, want to take this opportunity at the advice of my legal counsel to personally deny any and all allegations of any type of sexual molestation of anyone,” Bambaataa insisted yesterday in a statement to Rolling Stone. “These allegations are baseless and are a cowardly attempt to tarnish my reputation and legacy in hip-hop at this time. This negligent attack on my character will not stop me from continuing my battle and standing up against the violence in our communities, the violence in the nation and the violence worldwide.
“In the name of the Supreme Force, who is called by many names, whom All Praise is due. Good Spiritual Human, I pray for all of you and ask in returns your prayers, and let us all do what we must to help change our ways on how we treat each other in evilness, to respect and love for each other as Humans Beings,” Bambaataa’s statement continues. “May Peace and Blessings be upon each and everyone of you. Who would stand up to save us and our planet with so much chaos going on? Peace, Love, Honor and Respect to all.”
Savage claims he was once forced to “fondle” Bambaataa, and on another occasion, was made to give oral sex to another Zulu Nation member. “I hated myself,” Savage told the Daily News. “I don’t even know why I did that. I don’t even know how he got me to do that. It was like I was hypnotized.” The activist says he’s gone public with these allegations not to win money, but to lobby for a change in sex abuse law, which currently bars child sexual abuse victims from pursuing criminal charges or civil penalties after their 23rd birthday in New York.
