Mister Cee, Legendary Hip-Hop DJ, Dead At 57

Legendary Hip-Hop DJ Mister Cee, the man who spun for Big Daddy Kane and helped discover late rap icon The Notorious B.I.G., has passed away at 57. No cause of death has been revealed.

On Wednesday (April 10), news of Mister Cee’s passing spread throughout the Hip-Hop community, with many of his peers and fans paying their respects to the influential spinner also known by the nickname “The Finisher.”

“We have lost the iconic Mister Cee,” wrote Hot 97’s Peter Rosenberg on X on Wednesday afternoon. “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.”

While the timing of Mister Cee’s death is unconfirmed, it’s believed he passed away on Wednesday (April 10), as he was last heard DJing Rock The Bells’ Sirius XM program The Set Off Show on Tuesday (April 9).

A Brooklyn native, Mister Cee—born Calvin LeBrun—hailed from the borough’s Bedford-Stuyvesant section, where he gained a reputation as one of the best DJs in New York City. As a childhood friend of Big Daddy Kane, Mister Cee became the Juice Crew member’s DJ, working with Kane on his 1988 debut Long Live the Kane.

During the early ’90s, Mister Cee would be introduced to The Notorious B.I.G., a then relatively unknown rapper from Brooklyn who he took under his wing and helped land a record deal.

An associate executive producer on Biggie’s classic debut Ready to Die, Mister Cee would enjoy a lengthy career as a DJ on New York radio station Hot 97 before leaving the station in 2014 following a controversial arrest for soliciting a prostitute.

Despite the seeming scandal, Mister Cee continued his career as one of the highest-regarded DJs in the game. His most recent radio gigs were at 94.7 The Block and his aforementioned mix show on Sirius XM’s Rock The Bells.

VIBE sends our condolences to Mister Cee’s family and friends.