
they should have never gave you Medgar Evers community college nikkas access to the computers in the library
Interview with AFRIKA BAMBATTA
Red Bull Music Academy Daily
When you started the Zulu Nation, at first it was a breaking crew.
Yeah. It was a B-boy, male and female crew. You had the Zulu Kings and the Zulu Queens, and the Shaka Kings and the Shaka Queens. And they were really tearing shyt up. Nobody was really beating them, and they started winning contests and break dance shows throughout the city.
Which year is this?
That was ’70s – ’74, ’75, ’76, ’77.
Where are your parents from? Are they from the Caribbean?
My parents are from New York, but my roots is from the Caribbean. From Jamaica and Barbados.
So were there elements of Jamaican culture in your family?
Always. Jamaican and Barbados. My family and Herc’s family and Grandmaster Flash’s family.
How much were you aware of Jamaican sound system culture?
Oh, all the time. I’m one of the first. In fact I am the one in hip-hop who started playing all the Jamaican music in the hip-hop parties. More than Kool Herc and Grandmaster Flash. Even though Herc is from the Islands he was focused more on America, on funky stuff.