You may not know the name, but DJ Kool Herc is a father of hip-hop. Born Clive Campbell in Kingston, Jamacia, the DJ created the breakbeat and is responsible for many of the other cultural necessities of the hip-hop community, including b-boys and b-girls and introducing soul and funk into the mix. Despite his legendary status, Kool Herc never gained commercial success, due in part to the lack of recordings he generated in comparison to other DJs, like Grandmaster Flash. Now, decades after his role in the birth of a billion dollar culture, Campbell finds himself without health insurance and hospitalized for as-yet-unrevealed medical reasons (via Clash). DJ Premier, who announced Campeball’s hospitalization during his XM Radio show, is urging the hip-hop community to stand up and financially assist the innovator for an upcoming surgical procedure.
Interested parties can send donations to:
KOOL HERC PRODUCTIONS
P.O. BOX 20472
HUNTINGTON STATION , NY 11746
or via PayPal to cindycampbell1@aol.com (Kool Herc’s sister)
