Musical Visionary Bambaataa Keeps It Upbeat With Mix of Styles

A musical history lesson of sorts was held Tuesday at the Viper Room, courtesy of pioneering hip-hop DJ Afrika Bambaataa.

When the Bronx native (whose real name is Kevin Donovan) and his counterparts came of age in the mid-’70s, their aim was to unify people through music. They attempted to do this by playing records of any genre, as long as they were danceable. Tuesday’s 90-minute set demonstrated that after more than 20 years, Bambaataa still embraces that mission.

Renowned for his stoic presence and his mammoth record collection, the New York icon--who has receded from hip-hop’s center stage but has remained active, primarily as a performing deejay--achieved his goal at the Viper Room. Playing a strictly up-tempo mix of house, hip-hop, jungle, R&B; and funk, Bambaataa showed, through sampling and remixing, how the seemingly disparate musical forms are connected.

Whether playing a jungle mix of James Brown’s “Sex Machine” or techno-ish reworkings of songs from the Beastie Boys and Black Star, Bambaataa demonstrated that he’s a key sonic manipulator as well as a musical and cultural visionary.

Legendary rappers Grandmaster Caz (the writer of the Sugarhill Gang’s “Rapper’s Delight,” rap’s 1979 breakthrough single), Melle Mel (featured on Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five’s landmark “The Message” single in 1982) and Rahiem (also a member of the Furious Five) joined Bambaataa on stage Tuesday, adding energy to the show with revved-up call-and-response chants and an occasional rap.

Once again, Afrika Bambaataa proved that whenever he’s in town, there’s a party going on.