Which hip-hop artist created the 1982 electro classic “Planet Rock” with the Soulsonic Force?

Afrika Bambaataa created the 1982 electro classic “Planet Rock” with the Soulsonic Force.

Released on Tommy Boy Records, “Planet Rock” combined Bambaataa’s DJ concept with production by Arthur Baker and John Robie. Its electronic sound drew heavily on Kraftwerk, particularly the musical ideas associated with “Trans-Europe Express” and “Numbers.”

The record helped establish electro as a major branch of hip hop and dance music. Its futuristic synthesizers, drum-machine patterns, and robotic vocal style influenced producers, breakdancers, and later forms of techno and electro-funk.

Listeners sometimes describe “Planet Rock” simply as a Kraftwerk sample. That is misleading: the record uses interpolated musical elements and a new arrangement rather than being a straightforward vocal rap over an unchanged sample. Bambaataa’s concept and the production team’s technology were both essential.