Universal Zulu Nation

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Current Zulu Nation logo.
Former Zulu Nation logo
Afrika Bambaataa (left) with DJ Yutaka of Zulu Nation Japan, 2004.

The Universal Zulu Nation is an international

hip hop artist Afrika Bambaataa.[1]
: 101 

According to the website of the UZN. The Zulu Nation stands for "knowledge, wisdom, understanding, freedom, justice, equality, peace, unity, love, respect, work, fun, overcoming the negative to the positive, economics, mathematics, science, life, truth, facts, faith, and the oneness of god".[2]

History

Originally known simply as the Organization, it arose in the 1970s from the reformed

DJing), breaking (Breakdancing), and writing (Graffiti
).

In many interviews, Afrika Bambaataa has spoken of the name "Zulu" as being inspired by the 1964 film of the same name.[citation needed]

The imagery of the Zulu Nation has varied at times as well. During the 1970s, and 1980s, Afrika Bambaataa and the Zulu Nation members would often clothe themselves in costumes representing different cultures of the world.

Since the early 1980s, the Zulu Nation has established autonomous branches in

South Africa.[citation needed
]

From the late 1980s, at the height of the

Nuwaubians. In the mid 1990s some members began to break off starting their own projects or organizations such as Ill Crew Universal.[4]

Afrika Bambaataa stood down as head of the Zulu Nation in May 2016 after allegations of sexually abusing several young men and children in the organization. Ronald Savage was the first of several men to publicly accuse Bambaataa.[5]

In 2017, hundreds of Zulus resigned due to distrust of the Zulu Nation and founded their own organization, the Zulu Union.

Zulu Nation in France

The Zulu movement was introduced to France in 1982 by Afrika Bambaataa when the New York City Rap Tour performed in several cities (Paris, Lyon, Metz, Belfort, Mulhouse) with artists

hip hop community have waned. Since Afrika Bambaataa's tour of France in 2008 and a Zulu Nation reunion in Paris, new movements of the Universal Zulu Nation have emerged in different cities in France.[6] According to Veronique Henelon, "French rap specifically has been a multi-dimensional expression of ties with Africa."[7] The first hip-hop television show reportedly appeared in France. It was called 'H.I.P. H.O.P.' and was aired by the TF1
channel in 1984.

Notable members and affiliates

[8]

In popular culture

In 2004, the thirteenth episode of the second season of Chappelle's Show had the comedian Dave Chappelle do a sketch on an African-American George W. Bush, called Black Bush, where the character said that his coalition of the willing included Afrika Bambataa and the Zulu Nation.[9]

The Universal Zulu Nation is featured at length in the 2016 Netflix series The Get Down. In the series, Afrika Bambaataa is played by Nigerian-American actor Okieriete Onaodowan.

References

  1. ISBN 0-312-30143-X
    .
  2. ^ "Zulu Beliefs – Universal Zulu Nation". zulunation.com. the bronx borrough, new york state, USA. Retrieved 3 July 2023. The Universal Zulu Nation stands for: KNOWLEDGE, WISDOM, UNDERSTANDING, FREEDOM, JUSTICE, EQUALITY, PEACE, UNITY, LOVE, RESPECT, WORK, FUN, OVERCOMING THE NEGATIVE TO THE POSITIVE, ECONOMICS, MATHEMATICS, SCIENCE, LIFE, TRUTH, FACTS, FAITH, AND THE ONENESS OF GOD.
  3. ^ About from ZuluNation.com, retrieved 28 September 2015
  4. ^ lll Crew Universal
  5. ^ "Afrika Bambaataa Steps Down as Zulu Nation Leader Amid Reports of Child Sexual Assault". 9 May 2016.
  6. ^ Prevos, A.J.M., "Post-colonial Popular Music in France: Rap Music and Hip-Hop Culture in the 1980s and 1990s." In Global Noise: Rap and Hip-Hop Outside the USA. Tony Mitchell ed., pp. 29–56. Middletown: Wesleyan University Press, 2001.
  7. ^ Henelon, V. "Africa on Their Mind: Rap, Blackness, and Citizenship in France." In The Vinyl Ain't Final: Hip-Hop and the Globalisation of Black Popular Culture. Dipannita Basu and Sidney J. Lemelle, eds., pp. 151–66. London; Ann Arbor, MI: Pluto Press, 2006
  8. ^ "Lil Wayne is Reportedly Joining the Hip-Hop Awareness Organization Zulu Nation". MTV.
  9. ^ Jonathan Gray et al, Satire TV: Politics and Comedy in the Post-network Era (New York: NYU Press, 2009), 243.

External links

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