Talk:Afrika Bambaataa/Archives/2014

Real name?

So, what's Afrika's birth name? Google gives no clarity:

• Lance Turner [1] Arthur's Landing member Mustafa Khaliq Ahmed speaks about a client of his when he was a counsellor by the name of Lance Turner, later to become Afrika Bambaataa. Also prior to his trip to Africa (short story). — Preceding unsigned comment added by 101.113.4.155 (talk) 10:40, 11 November 2014 (UTC)
• Afrika Bambaataa Aasim [2]
• Lance Aasim [3]
• Kevin Donaldson [4]
• Kevin Donovan [5] [6]

(none of the above sources being even remotely authoratitive). Is there any better way to find out? -- Finlay McWalter | Talk 23:47, 5 Feb 2004 (UTC)

Public records list AASIM, BAMBAATAA K and AASIM, KEVIN born Apr 17, 1957 living in Bronx and Yonkers, NY. Questors 20:00, 18 January 2006 (UTC)

In Jeff Chang's book Can't Stop Won't Stop,

• "Many biographies have incorrectly listed his birth name as Kevin Donovan, another man who happened to be the leader of record-label owner Paul Winley's house band, the Harlem Underground Band." —Preceding unsigned comment added by 68.185.200.163 (talk) 04:12, 28 January 2008 (UTC)

Well the Article should mention that his birth name is currently unknown or whatever. Just don't gloss over the issue. Jidanni (talk) 02:41, 11 May 2008 (UTC)

This dispute was never resolved, it looks like, since the name Kevin Donovan is still listed in the article and doesn't have a citation. I am reading Jeff Chang's book as well, and the name listed in the article is the name of a guy in Harlem Underground. If someone verified that Bambaataa was Donovan, could you add the citation? Another point is that his birthdate is in dispute as well, according to Chang. There's a quote made by Bambaataa, "We never speak on my age." Can we change the name and date information, just leaving it out? Or should we go into how Bambaataa "appears as a man outside of time and age," as Chang puts it? user:hlb003 —Preceding undated comment added 22:27, 3 July 2009 (UTC).

Empire State of Mind

He is namechecked in the second verse of Jay-Z/Alicia Keys smash hit of 2009, Empire State of Mind. "Welcome to the melting pot, corners where they selling rock, Africa Bimbata shit, home of the hip-hop..."

At first I thought it was a type of drug, but now I see it's someone's name!

Performance Rights Organisation records

I have looked up Bambaataa's song-writing credits at the websites of the ASCAP and BMI, which can often be relied upon to reveal real names. He is usually listed as BAMBAATAA AFRIKA but there are instances of him being listed as AASIM BEY BAMBAATAA KHAYAN. For example, his sample credit for Ice Cube's track "You Can Do It". He is listed as AASIM BAMBAATAA KHAYAN for his 1983 track "Wildstyle", which matches Questors' source given above. He is never listed as AASIM LANCE, DONOVAN KEVIN or DONALDSON KEVIN. — Labalius (talk) 00:02, 11 August 2009 (UTC)

Good legwork on that, but I'm not sure it tells us much. Bam clearly went by Afrika Bambaataa (or similar variants) by the mid-1970s (if not earlier), and I don't know that he was involved in any recordings prior to his own singles in 1981. Unlike some other hip-hop artists (who do use their real names for ASCAP purposes), I'm guessing Bambaataa would not have put his birth name on song-writing credits. He seems to be very much interested in being known as "Afrika Bambaataa" and has had that inclination since well before he became a household name (no pun intended), so we might not find conclusive info any time soon. Though given your wiki-interests per your user page, I think you would be the editor to do it! --Bigtimepeace | talk | contribs 19:49, 11 August 2009 (UTC)