DJ Kool Herc needs help with funding medical bills as his lack of insurance means he is unable to get treatment for an undisclosed condition.

Friends of Herc, who is known as being one of the pioneers of hip hop, have launched an appeal to pay for his treatment and DJ Premier explained the situation on his radio show at Sirius XM this weekend:

"[He] who we call the father of hip-hop, Kool Herc, is not doing well,"

"Since he's very sick and has no insurance ... [he] needs to pay his bills so he can get out of hospital."

"We spoke today, and he needs some help to pay his bills for the hospital because he can't hold it down,"

"And being that he is the man who set this whole culture off, ya'll should be wanting to do it any type of way that you can."

Watch DJ Kool Herc, real name Clive Campbell, talk about his signature style of mixing breakbeats here: