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TheUniversal Zulu Nation is an internationalhip hop awareness group formed byelectro/hip hop artistAfrika 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]
Originally known simply as the Organization, it arose in the 1970s from the reformedNew York Citygang theBlack Spades, a street gang from theSouth Bronx. While the Black Spades were the base of the organization, other reformed gangs contributed additional members, notably theSavage Nomads,Seven Immortals, andSavage Skulls, among others.[3] Members began to organize cultural events for youths, combining local dance and music movements into what would become known as the various elements ofhip hop culture. Elements of the culture include Emceeing (MCing), Deejaying (DJing), breaking (Breakdancing), and writing (Graffiti).
In many interviews, Afrika Bambaataa has spoken of the name "Zulu" as being inspired by the1964 film of the same name.[citation needed]
The imagery of the Zulu Nation has varied at times as well. During the 1970s and the 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 inJapan,France, theUK,Australia,Canada,South Korea and the Cape Flats in Cape TownSouth Africa.[citation needed]
From the late 1980s, at the height of theAfrocentric movement in Hip Hop (when artists such asKRS-One,Public Enemy,A Tribe Called Quest,Native Tongues, andRakim hit success), the movement seemed to be incorporating many doctrines from theNation of Islam, theNation of Gods and Earths, and theNuwaubians. 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, theZulu Union.
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 artistsPHASE 2,Futura 2000,Dondi,Grandmaster D.ST, theRock Steady Crew,Rammellzee, the double dutch group Buffalo Girls. The Zulu Nation was centered in suburbanParis since most immigrants lived beyond the city limits. Since 1987, the Zulu Nation's ties to the Frenchhip 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 inFrance. It was called 'H.I.P. H.O.P.' and was aired by theTF1 channel in 1984.
In 2004, the thirteenth episode of the second season ofChappelle's Show had the comedianDave Chappelle do a sketch on an African-American George W. Bush, called Black Bush, where the character said that hiscoalition of the willing included Afrika Bambataa and the Zulu Nation.[8]
The Universal Zulu Nation is featured at length in the 2016Netflix seriesThe Get Down. In the series,Afrika Bambaataa is played by Nigerian-American actorOkieriete Onaodowan.
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.
