By D.L. Chandler

Kool Herc, widely known as the originator of hip hop culture and music as we know it today, has fallen ill and his sister, Cindy Campbell, urged the hip hop public to assist the 55-year old Jamaican-born DJ who currently suffers from severe kidney stone pain.

As reported by RapFix earlier, Kool Herc’s situation came to light as a result of an announcement by DJ Premier on his HeadQcourterz SIRIUS satellite radio show over the weekend, from which the news spread like wildfire on Twitter and the various hip hop sites along with the rest of the blogosphere. Herc’s sister confirmed the actual severity of her brother’s condition along with the plea to Herc’s fans to help with the ensuing medical bills.

"He's been in terrible pain for months," said Herc's sister Cindy Campbell. "The doctors say they've got to come out, but we just don't have the money."

For Ms. Campbell, this isn’t the first time she has gone public in the name of hip hop as she and her brother once fought side by side to save the very Bronx apartment building known as the birthplace of hip hop. Ms. Campbell shared with the New York Times her thoughts regarding her brother’s current plight and how this is yet another rallying cry in the name of the culture.

"There isn’t any type of medical program for these artists," Ms. Campbell said. "Maybe it takes a visible person like Herc for people to pay attention. Maybe we can help set something up. My brother and I were trailblazers. We tried to save the building. Now we’re going to advocate for plenty of other artists and have a program to assist them."

For fans who wish to donate towards Kool Herc’s medical bills, a Paypal account has been set up by Ms. Campbell at: cindycampbell1@aol.com. If mailed contributions are preferred, fans should send such correspondence to Kool Herc Productions PO Box 20472 Huntington Station, NY 11746.