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Through his co-opting of his street gang Black Spades into the music and culture-oriented organization Universal Zulu Nation , he has helped spread hip hop culture throughout the world.

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As a child, he was exposed to the black liberation movement and witnessed debates between his mother and uncle regarding the conflicting ideologies in the movement. He was exposed to his mother's extensive and eclectic record collection. Bambaataa was a member of the Black Spades. He quickly rose to the position of "warlord" in one of the divisions.

As warlord, it was his job to build ranks and expand the turf of the young Spades. He was not afraid to cross turfs to forge relationships with other gangs, and their members. As a result, the Spades became the biggest gang in the city in terms of both membership and turf.

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After Bambaataa won an essay contest that earned him a trip to Africa , his worldview shifted. During his trip to Africa, the communities he visited inspired him to create one in his own neighborhood. He told people that his name was Zulu for "affectionate leader". Due to the oft nebulous timeline of hip-hop origins, there are conflicting accounts of when Bambaataa began hosting parties.

Some suggest he began as early as , predating noted "father of hip hop" Kool Herc , [ 10 ] while others contend he began after Herc in , in fact, attending and drawing inspiration from Kool Herc parties. Bambaataa engaged primarily as a hip-hop artist. Robert Keith Wiggins , a. The term became a common phrase used by MCs as part of a scat -inspired style of rhyming.

In , Bambaataa and his followers — a group of dancers, artists, and DJs — went outside the United States on the first hip-hop tour.