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Rb Hip Hop

Mister Cee, Legendary New York DJ, Dies at 57

The DJ was instrumental in the career of the Notorious B.I.G.

"The Finisher" DJ Mister Cee spins at S.O.B.'s on May 21, 2015, in New York City.

"The Finisher" DJ Mister Cee spins at S.O.B.'s on May 21, 2015, in New York City.

Johnny Nunez/WireImage

Calvin LeBrun, better known as the legendary DJ Mister Cee has passed, according longtime employers Hot 97 and WLBS.

Known as “The Finisher,” Mister Cee has been a fixture on New York City radio waves for over 25 years, helming the “Throwback at Noon” block on Hot 97 where he played classic old school hip-hop records. Most recently, he took over the same noon time slot on NYC’s 94.7 The Block, where he would also play classic hip-hop and R&B songs.


LeBrun got his start when he met Big Daddy Kane at Brooklyn’s Sarah J. Hale High School and eventually started DJ’ing for the rap legend. He was featured on Kane’s debut album Long Live the Kane on the track “Mister Cee’s Master Plan” where he can be heard scratching on the record.

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However, Mister Cee’s claim to fame wasn’t being Kane’s DJ or even being a member of the legendary Juice Crew, it was for helping discover arguably the greatest rapper of all time in the Notorious B.I.G. The Finisher was introduced to Biggie by his friend DJ 50 Grand and passed along Big’s demo tape to Matty C over at The Source magazine which eventually got the Brooklyn MC into the magazine’s influential Unsigned Hype column. It was his inclusion in that column that led to a meeting with with Bad Boy Records’s Puff Daddy. And the rest, as they say, is history.

Younger generations may remember Mister Cee from his appearance in Grand Theft Auto IV where he played the co-host of The Beat 102.7 along with DJ Green Lantern.

LeBrun’s cause of death has not been revealed. He was 57 years old.

This article was originally published by Billboard U.S.

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Jim Cuddy and Molly Johnson
Courtesy UMC

Jim Cuddy and Molly Johnson

FYI

Music News Digest: The Cameron House Turns 45 With The Sadies, Molly Johnson, Jim Cuddy and More

Also this week: The launch of a new music non-profit in Hamilton, submissions open for Canada House at The Great Escape and the full lineup for Nova Scotia Music Week.

Toronto's historic Cameron House is turning 45.

That is a milestone anniversary for the Toronto bar and venue that has played a crucial role in the city's Queen Street West music, theatre and art scene since launching in 1981. As a music venue it played a major role in launching the careers of such stars as Blue Rodeo, Molly Johnson, Handsome Ned, Leslie Spit Treeo, Justin Rutledge, Whitney Rose and countless others and it is still going strong today.

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