For the past year, Chromatic sound system’s DJ Niko has been off the dancehall radar due to kidney disease.

The selector, whose given name is Nicolas Grant, is seeking finanical assistance to undergo surgery in the United States.

“It’s very hard for me to go public and ask for your help but I am doing that with the encouragement of family and friends, so that everyone who sees this will help in whatever way they can,” he said.

DJ Niko, who is in his late 20s, told the

Jamaica Observer that he first experienced symptoms of renal failure (medical term for kidney disease) one year ago.

“I was at an event in New York playing and I felt really tired and weak. When I returned to Jamaica, my feet were swollen but I thought it was because I was standing for long periods,” he recalled.

Medical checks a few days later confirmed he was suffering from kidney failure. DJ Niko undergoes costly dialysis treatment twice weekly.

A GoFundMe account has been created for the selector at

www.gofundme.com/nikochromatic. Although Niko has a kidney donor, he still needs at least US$50,000 to undergo surgery.

DJ Niko, along with Warren ‘Creep’ Lee, began making mixtapes just over 10 years ago. They started Chromatic shortly after.

Chromatic is in demand locally and has played in the United States, United Kingdom and the Caribbean.

— Simone Morgan-Lindo