Note: I wrote this in February, before Nate Dogg’s death after years of health issues, before Masta Ace tweeted about the health effects of rap life and before some of the efforts to help Kool Herc took place. My points still stand, although I initially held off because I thought this may have been perceived as going to far…but who cares about that now. If you don’t have your health, what do you have?

Hip Hop pioneer Kool Herc is suffering from kidney stones. He is need of surgery though he already has medical bills of about $10,000. Herc also has no health insurance.

A similar problem has befallen late producer J Dilla’s father, Beverly “Pop Dukes” Dewitt Yancy, who is also in need of help with his medical bills.

The 55 year old Herc, born Clive Campbell, wants to use his situation to highlight the need for universal health care in the US. A fund has been set up in Herc’s name and the Hip Hop community has sought ways to raise funds for him.
Here are some of my thoughts upon learning of Kool Herc’s medical debt.

At a time like this, when the economy is experiencing a “jobless recovery” and when rappers are still flashing loads of cash, people begin look to them to contribute. It feels like everybody’s looking at Diddy right now, but maybe they’re looking at Rick Ross too who allegedly spent $1 million on his 35 birthday party. Should we look to them to contribute? Should we look to Hip Hop’s moneymakers to pay the entire bill?

That said, to me there’s a few things that are a shame here:

The lack of universal health care, despite this being the richest country in the world and overwhelming popularity for the idea among most Americans polled on the subject.

Hip Hop has no mechanism for addressing the health issues and medical debt of important members of our community. As a group, a collective, there could be health coverage with low rates if the group is big enough. At one time Tom Morello of Rage Against The Machine hoped to develop a health care plan for musicians and while this may seem far off, there are churches that already do this. If medical debt was beef do you think it would have been addressed by now?

The lack of community in Hip Hop that allows for Kool Herc and Mr. Yancy’s situations to progress this far, without help, without enough help. Maybe I’m wrong for this one, but I’m putting it out there.

The health problems of those in Hip Hop who could get funds set up in their name to help them reflects the rest health problems of the Hip Hop community at large. They’re the same problems.

The health care debates were framed in terms of health insurance when preventative medicine can prevent us from needing to rely on health insurance as much. If we take better care of ourselves, all of us, we would be in better health overall. This reduces the need for hospitalization, medication and the bills we have to pay for them.

President Obama entered into the health care debates in the health insurance frame and by conceding to health insurance companies anything resembling universal health care, which enjoys popular support in the US.

Hip Hop/Rap is so much more profitable now than it was in Kool Herc’s day. The pioneers were taken advantage of and were never able to cash in the way today’s stars and influencers have been. Surely a debt is owed to them from those who profit today and really, this shouldn’t even be up for discussion. The lack of a sense of indebtedness and community is what allows for there to even be an argument.

If we don’t take care of our own in Hip Hop, honestly, who will?

So what do you think? Is this Herc’s problem cause we all have our own problems? Should regular folk be asked to contribute when there are many who have more money than us in Hip Hop? Should Diddly, Rick Ross and other conspicuous consumers in Hip Hop be expected to contribute?