(Photo credit: Instagram)
One of hip-hop’s most influential DJs, producers, and radio personalities, DJ Mister Cee, has passed away at the age of 57, his home station HOT 97 said Wednesday.
“Our hearts are heavy as we send our love and condolences to his family and the fans whose lives he touched through his music, rest easy, Mr. Cee. Your legacy will live forever,” the radio station’s tribute said.
A cause of death of the music industry professional had not been publicly released as of Wednesday evening.
The legendary DJ hosted the “Throwback at Noon” which was among the most listened to programs on New York City Radio at the time. Cee had his hand in launching the careers of many well known artists such as Jay Z, Alicia Keys, 50 Cent and more.
Born Calvin LeBrun, Cee played a huge part in building the success of Biggie Smalls. He eventually served as the associate executive producer for The Notorious B.I.G.’s 1994 debut, Ready To Die.
Cee revealed he actually produced the album “with two turntables, just cutting the record back and forth,” adding, “We had a little cheesy mic that was better than the mic 50 Grand had at his house.”
“The first time I met him was when his DJ 50 Grand, rest in peace, brought Big to my house. The plan was we were going to redo the basement demo that he and 50 Grand put together. Big was very shy. He would always talk with his head down and say, “Yo man, don’t be promising me nothing, man. If you say you’re going to do something, do it.” And I’m like, nah, we’re going to redo the demo.”
“I started going through and picking the beats that were hot at the time, and the beat that Biggie picked was the Casual “I Didn’t Mean To” beat to do the infamous “Biggie Smalls is the wickedest/n*ggas say I’m pussy I dare you to stick your dick in it.” We did that one if not two takes, and if you listen to the freestyle, at the end of it, you’ll hear a fire truck going by. We weren’t in a studio, we were at my house. I did it with two turntables, just cutting the record back and forth. We had a little cheesy mic that was better than the mic 50 Grand had at his house.”
Rapper 50 Cent, 48, paid tribute, writing, ‘R.I.P to the legend MR. Cee God bless him, to all his family and friends I send my condolences.’
Rapper MC Lyte, 53, said she was ‘heartbroken’ at the news and not ‘expecting this at all,’ adding, ‘God Bless his soul. Mister Cee Rest in power & peace!!’
Mister Cee had spent 21 years working at HOT 97 with the show Throwback at Noon, which featured entertainers including 50 Cent, Jay-Z and Alicia Keys before they found mainstream success.
Cee was also known for his affiliation with rapper Big Daddy Kane, as he was friends with the rapper, 55, since high school, and served as his official DJ, according to the station.
Back in 2014, Mister Cee said in a XXL Magazine interview that if Biggie were still alive, he’d be proud of the accomplishments he made in his career both in production and on the radio.
“If Biggie was alive right now, he would definitely be proud of what I’ve accomplished,” Cee said. “If Biggie was alive and I still was doing tributes to him, he would probably be like, ‘Yo, man stop that s**t, What the f**k are you doing?’ He probably would want me to stop going so hard for him. As far as what I went through, the unfortunate circumstances that I went through, he would definitely be behind me but he would be clowning me all day.”
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