Funkmaster Flex is facing an FCC complaint. Hip Hop Stands With Survivors, an advocacy group, filed a complaint against comments made by Funkmaster Flex during a recent show featuring Afrika Bambaataa. The Hip-Hop pioneer, who has largely stayed out of the public eye since being accused of child molestation by former Zulu Nation members Roland Savage and Hassan Campbell in 2016, made a rare appearance on Flex’s show on August 17th.
Bambaataa, also known as Lance Taylor, performed a DJ set on the show. According to Hip-Hop Wired, Flex later referenced Savage’s alleged recanting of his allegations against Bambaataa, stating: “It seems there’s a discrepancy that has been cleared up with Afrika Bambaataa and the young man Bee Stinger. It seems that the pedophile word that was being used, Bee Stinger is now saying that Afrika Bambaataa is not a pedophile.”
Flex added, “I don’t care whether or not Afrika Bambaataa prefers men or women or both. Yes, we do care if the word pedophile is used but obviously, according to AllHipHop that spoke to Bee Stinger, he’s saying that’s not the case.”
Ronald “Bee-Stinger” Savage walked back accusations against Afrika Bambaataa, who he accused of sexual abuse when he was 15 years old.
AllHipHop notes the two were pictured together at an event for the Zulu Nation, which Savage provided context to the moment. “Never underestimate the power of God when he intervenes in an affair he sets everything straight,” Savage said.
Savage stated Bambaataa sexually abused him when he was a teen. The 2016 statement was part of a series of bombshell statements against Bambaataa. Speaking with Chuck “Jigsaw” Creekmurk, Savage stated he doesn’t see the legend as a pedophile.
“Bambaataa is not a pedophile and, in my eyes, he was doing something that was consensual with someone that he thought was of age,” he said. “I wish, back in 2016, I remembered about the fake ID. I wasn’t thinking about that I had forgot about that I was in deep depression and still dealing with the trauma as an adult. I want to apologize for the little kid that didn’t know anybody and just wanted to be down with this thing called Hip-Hop so I pretended to be older.
“This is something that took place 35 to over 40 years ago. This man has never been convicted of anything. Let it go. I needed to set the record straight [and get] my closure.”
You can hear the full interview below and read more here.
Last year, Afrika Bambaataa and his role as the co-founder of the Universal Hip Hop Museum sparked some controversy, with an advocacy group demanding the defunding of the recently built museum because of the Hip Hop pioneer’s sexual abuse allegations.
This week, a group called Hip Hop Stands With Survivors released a letter calling NYC Mayor Eric Adams to halt all taxpayer funding funneled into the UHHM and fire the organization’s Executive Director, Rocky Bucano. The letter also calls for all companies, such as Microsoft, to end their financial relationship with the UHHM.
The letter says, “We expect his resignation or for the board to vote him out of the museum’s leadership and for the museum to sever all ties with Bucano, Bambaataa, and the Zulu Nation.”
In 2019, the State of New York donated a $3.5million grant to the museum. It’s scheduled to open sometime in 2023 or 2024 to celebrate Hip Hop’s 50th anniversary.
The protest has been taken to the streets, with an immediate response coming from Mayor Adams.
“The Universal Hip Hop Museum assured the administration that they cut ties with the Universal Zulu Nation and that Afrika Bambaataa has not had a role at the Universal Hip Hop Museum since 2016,” Adams said in a statement.
Executive Director Bucano also released a statement, denying that Bambaataa was ever a board member of the museum and that he was never a member of the Zulu Nation.
His statement says, “The Universal Hip Hop Museum and Mr. Bucano condemn all acts of acts of violence and abuse. I would like to make it clear that Afrika Bambaataa has not had a role at the Universal Hip Hop Museum since 2016. I and the Universal Hip Hop Museum are not party to any activities affiliated with the Universal Zulu Nation I affirm that the Universal Hip Hop Museum is committed to its mission to empower, educate, and uplift communities.” It goes on saying, “While it is true that Afrika Bambaataa was a founding member of the museum, he was removed from any involvement with the museum as soon as the allegations surfaced. He has never been a board member, advisory board member or volunteer. I have never been a member of the Universal Zulu Nation nor am I an agent of the organization or Afrika Bambaataa. The assertion that UHHM is a financial front for the Universal Zulu Nation, Afrika Bambaataa, or other Universal Zulu Nation members, is irresponsible, false, and misdirected.”
Bambaataa was hit with several sexual abuse allegations going back to the 1970s but has maintained his innocence.
His attorney, Vivian K. Tozaki, issued a statement in 2016 saying, “Recently, defamatory statements were published seeking to harm my client’s reputation so as to lower him in the estimation of the community while deterring others from associating or dealing with him. The statements show a reckless disregard for the truth, were published with knowledge of their falsity, and are being made by a lesser-known person seeking publicity. Valuable cultural resources, such as Afrika Bambaataa’s good name and time, should never be used to assist a mediocre person’s asinine quest for social media popularity and superficial gain.”
