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Monday, January 31, 2011 | 9:00am
DJ Premier: Kool Herc is Very Ill, Hospitalized, Broke & w/o Health Insurance
The Father of Hip Hop needs your help and your prayers.
@koolherc @realdjpremier
The legendary DJ Kool Herc is apparently very ill. According to DJ Premier he has been hospitalized and in unknown condition but his healthy is deteriorating rapidly. Worse yet it seems he is without Health Insurance (go figure.)
“Kool Herc is very sick,” Premier revealed on his radio show. “For those that know about Hip-Hop, who we call the father of Hip-Hop, Kool Herc, is not doing well. It’s funny how we have a father of a culture that still lives, where as in some cultures they are dead and gone even though they may still be worshipped or reflected on in some kind of way.”
For those of you unfamiliar, Kool Herc simply put is the reason we’re all here. He’s the father of the Hip Hop culture. Back in the late 70′s he invented the style of playing the instrumental break portion of funk records in the clubs. The style grew in popularity so quickly it necessitated that he begin using two copies of each record switching back and forth to keep the break on a continuous loop, this gave rise to the two turntable and mixer style DJing that has personified Hip Hop over the last 40 years.
The culture which spawned from Herc’s home in the Bronx, NY was a more street-worthy alternative to disco. Followers began to create unique dances and compete against each other as Herc switched from break to break. These dancers became known as break boys or more commonly, B-Boys. That was Herc’s contribution to culture. Lyricists would later begin spitting on the break on the break giving rise to rap music. That’s a distinction still lost among most today in the difference between Hip Hop and Rap.
Though long recognized among purists, many especially today wouldn’t know Herc from a whole in a wall and its sad. One of my good emcee friends (TRUE emcee) got married a few years back and his big wedding surprise was that Herc DJ’d the reception. It was one of the most unique and cool things I can remember about a wedding. As more details come out about his health, I’ll be sure to keep you all updated. In the meantime, if you feel so inclined you can donate to help Kool Herc by sending money to:
Kool Herc Production
P.O. Box 20472
Huntington Station, NY 11746.
I was peeping this earlier 2day and instead of a bene concert all these current and not so current Hip Hop artist need 2 just make it rain no flash flood at the Hospital that Herc is in and break him off and take care of this legend. I know most cats now would only go far back as Snoop and Dr.Dre being ol school but this is 1 of the originals from back when no chedda was rolling just the love of the music. Jay-Z u say u got 99 problems how about making Kool Herc’s medical bill your 100th problem . Puffy or Pee Pee Did He, Sean John Wayne Gacy Artist 4molee known as Puff Daddy u say it’s all about the Benjamins well it is 4 sure now so help this legend out in a time of need.Every artist from RUN-DMC to Lil Wayne to Drake and Waka Fuckya Lame. Need 2 go in and helping this man who helped them get broke off in the Game we call Hip hop music.
Yo, Na$$tee you stay on point man. I’m gonna put a few dolla toward tha effort but, first I’m gonna blow up some social networks askin why our artists aren’t takin care of Kool Herc. This is ridiculous man!!!