PhillyGossip

DJ Too Tuff battling cancer behind bars

Dan Gross' blog, PhillyGossip, covers the behavior and misbehavior of celebrities both local and Hollywood. His Dan About Town column runs Mondays through Thursdays in the Daily News.

20 comments

DJ Too Tuff battling cancer behind bars

POSTED: Thursday, September 24, 2009, 8:17 AM

Dan Gross

Jessica Griffin/Staff Photographer

We're sorry to report that DJ Too Tuff, of the legendary Philly hip-hop act Tuff Crew, is battling thyroid cancer. And to make matters worse, Too Tuff, born Joseph Hicks, is incarcerated. Hicks, 41, who recently had surgery to remove his thyroid, was locked up in April at the House of Corrections and awaits trial Oct. 29 on aggravated assault and related charges over a fight last November at Silk City (5th & Spring Garden), where he was selling his CD "Too Tuff's Lost Archives." Because he is on probation from a weed-possession charge, he is being held without bail. We spoke briefly with him yesterday. He said he wants to promote cancer awareness when he's released. "It can happen to anybody," he said, adding that he planned to donate a portion of procceds from his next CD to the American Cancer Society. His friend Canada Mike is working on a benefit show for Too Tuff's medical and legal bills. Those interested in helping out can call 267-265-6466 or e-mail HelpDJTooTuff@comcast.net.

20 comments

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Comments (20)

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 10:21 AM, 09/24/2009

long live tuff Crew....

— bbrown

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 10:42 AM, 09/24/2009

rough tough coco puff.

— Happyface

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0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 11:16 AM, 09/24/2009

Sounds like cancer's too tuff, and joe hicks is not tuff enuff.

— LarryMendtesKeylogger

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 11:17 AM, 09/24/2009

(in all honesty, cancer really does suck...shame he's gotta go through it)

— LarryMendtesKeylogger

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0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 11:53 AM, 09/24/2009

well the first one was certainly mindless, this is true. just like danno, we all have our off days (even KING)

— LarryMendtesKeylogger

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0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 1:09 PM, 09/24/2009

at least he's guaranteed health care in prison. Anyone read the NYT last week about the woman who declined to be apply for parole because she has cancer? f'ed up, but true.

— brendancalling

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 1:28 PM, 09/24/2009

@brendancalling...sounds like the story I heard years ago about a person who hit rock bottom w/unemployment and debt, and decided to throw a brick through a window in plain view of a cop to go to jail and get an education (and it actually worked). Our country will get its priorities straight, eventually.

— LarryMendtesKeylogger