The Bronx River Houses were the operations base for the Zulu Nation, as well as the home of Afrika Bambaataa himself. The community center was the early location of many early hip hop parties starting in 1976. Mr. Biggs, Queen Kenya, and DJ Cowboy SoulSonic Force also played here.

Kevin Donovan, a division leader of the gang the Black Spades had a life-changing visit to Afrika, and renamed himself Afrika Bambaataa, after a Zulu chief in South Africa. He formed Zulu Nation as a way to use hip hop to draw kids out of gangs.