Most of us know about DJ Kool Herc, one of the great pioneers of hip-hop music. His greatness transcends the genre, and he is respected all around the world. Well, nearly every great legacy can come under fire, and Herc is currently in the battle of a lifetime.

It was revealed last month that Herc was in the hospital facing very serious kidney stones. It has also been reported that he is without health insurance. DJ Premier admitted publicly that the debacle has been tough for Herc and his family and undermined their finances as well.

Since being released from the hospital, Herc has begun speaking out on the problems with the United States healthcare system.

"We live in one of the superpowers of the world!" Kool Herc said to MTV News. "'Give me your tired, your poor ... ' and then you don't take care of them? There should be no weak ants in the colony. There shouldn't be anyone fighting for health care! This has been going on too damn long!"

"Now we are fighting for health care not just for me, but for everyone. I see this situation as another quest for me to shine light on a sensitive issue for the community. I'm an instrument of God. I'm here for a purpose and I want to be here for the solution."

A Paypal account has been set up to make donations for Herc's medical bills. The family says that his health problems are serious and he plans to continue speaking out on the healthcare system. It is incredibly ironic that the man who created the industry that opened the door for corporations and individuals to earn billions of dollars finds himself unable to pay medical bills.

The struggles of Herc against the healthcare system lead me to a couple of thoughts. First, the rest of the hip-hop community should follow Herc's lead and re-ignite the importance of hip-hop as a significant political voice in our society. Even Diddy's recent challenge to President Barack Obama can be followed up with direct overtures for education reform and scrutiny of the prison industrial complex (rappers rap a lot about prison, but they don't rap much about prison reform). I would love to see the hip-hop community take a stand on the case of Kelley Williams-Bolar as it pertains to fixing the horrible educational system to which our children are subjected. Also, I was surprised that more rappers didn't step forward to support their brothers enduring the prison labor strike that took place in Georgia a few weeks ago.

The second thought I had about Herc's unfortunate experience relates to the healthcare system at-large. America has a healthcare system built on capitalist principles that serve to put a price on human life. If you can't afford the drugs you need to live, then society has no problem seeing you die. If you don't have enough money to afford the best surgery available, then you settle for whatever you can get.

What's worse about our system is that drug companies and hospitals now have so much at stake that they control the decisions being made by our politicians and are ultimately able to control the direction of our nation. In order for us to have a healthcare system that actually makes sense, there will have to come a time when our politicians have enough courage to seriously challenge the existing system and build something better. Given that the United States is on a downward long-term economic slope, it will only be a matter of time before those who can't afford healthcare anymore begin to reject the political system that serves to keep poor people dying.



Dr. Boyce Watkins is the founder of the Your Black World Coalition and a Scholarship in Action Resident of the Institute for Black Public Policy. To have Dr. Boyce commentary delivered to your email, please click here.