Mister Cee, the DJ, record producer and radio personality who played an integral role in the careers of Big Daddy Kane and the Notorious B.I.G., has passed away at the age of 57, according to former colleagues who received confirmation from his family.
The Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn native born Calvin LeBrun has been an influential figure in hip-hop since the onset of his career. He learned to DJ at a young age from a crew called DJ Knight and the Knights of Hollywood, and after meeting Big Daddy Kane in high school, he became the rapper’s DJ on tour in the late 1980s. Cee also made an appearance on Kane’s 1988 debut “Long Live the Kane” with the track “Mister Cee’s Master Plan.”
He inevitably met the Notorious B.I.G. through the rapper’s DJ 50 Grand and helped record his demo tape, later facilitating the deal that got him signed to Bad Boy Records. Alongside Sean “Diddy” Combs, he served as associate executive producer on Biggie’s classic debut album “Ready to Die” in 1994.
Most notably, Cee was a mainstay on Hot 97 and in mixtape culture, dropping 120-minute releases that bucked the standard 60-to-90-minute tapes. He made headlines in 2013 after an attempt to solicit sex from an undercover police officer, and turned the experience into a positive mission to promote inclusivity and acceptance. Recently, he’d been spinning mixes on 94.7 The Block in New York City, and had live shows scheduled for this weekend.
Some who knew Mister Cee have already turned to social media to tribute the foundational DJ. Hot 97’s Peter Rosenberg wrote on X (formerly Twitter), “We have lost the iconic Mister Cee. I listened to him yesterday and am in complete shock. He was a dear friend to all of us, a wonderful man, and one of the most important and impactful DJs of all time. I love you Cee.”
Rapper MC Lyte posted on Instagram, “I’m heartbroken. Wasn’t expecting this at all 😢. God Bless his soul. Mister Cee 🖤Rest in power & peace!! 🙏🏽🖤.”
