Afrika Bambaataa (born April 10 or October 4, 1957 or 1960, though his birthdate is hotly debated; he himself refuses to comment on his age) is a dj, Hip Hop musician and community leader from the South Bronx, New York, who was instrumental in the early development of hip hop throughout the 1970s. During Bambaataa's early years, he was a founding member of the Bronxdale Projects-area street gang, The Savage Seven.