Afrika Bambaataa Speaks to Lisa Evers About Child Molestation Claims
Universal Zulu Nation founder Afrika Bambaataa has given an exclusive interview with Lisa Evers of FOX 5 to address the allegations that he molested young boys throughout his time as leader of the Zulu Nation. In March, former New York State Democratic Committee Member Ronald Savage said that Bambaataa abused him as a young teen and three others have come forward. Last week, the Universal Zulu Nation announced that Bambaataa had been removed as it's leader.
"I never abused nobody," Bambaataa, born Kevin Donovan, tells Evers.
"What is the motivation, what is the agenda?" he said. "It's hard to say. You don't know what many of these people are thinking. What is behind it. Some parts are saying it could be shakeups. Certain things people might have wanted."
"It was definitely hurting and definitely crazy to hear this now when I was doing so many other works in the community at the time," Bambaataa stated. There was also a clear shot at those who have been turning their back against him saying "many of the people never want to speak to my other members who were of that era. They just going along with he say, she say...what they call gossip."
Bambaataa is considered one of hip-hop's founding fathers and is arguably the single most important figure in the culture's early development. In the 1970s, he helped shift street gang culture in the South Bronx into a positive movement through hip-hop and the founding of the Zulu Nation.
Savage says that his first sexual experience with Bambaataa occurred in 1980 when he was 15 and skipping school.
"I didn't have nowhere to go so I had his number and I called him and he paid for the cab for me to go to his house," Savage said.
"I couldn't believe it. I was confused, I was little nervous," Savage said. "I was just wondering, the other guy coming into the room, what was they going to do to me?"
"The brother knows the people who he came around in my group with, and knows that he wasn't in my presence unless among those people and he needs to go back and speak to those people who were part of our organization and deal with them," Bambaataa said. "And stop all this type of craziness that they been trying to put by attacking me."
"I ain't touched this brother whatsoever," Bambaataa said.