On this date in 1988, Big Daddy Kane, DJ Mister Cee, Scoob and Scrap Lover released the gold selling classic debut album Long Live The Kane on Cold Chillin’ Records.
Produced exclusively by behind the boards legend Marley, Long Live The Kane was the highly anticipated first full length project of then Brooklyn newcomer King Asiatic Nobody’s Equal. This Source Five Mic Classic was also named one of our Top 100 Best Rap Albums. This album is one of the most influential projects of its era, which is affectionately called the “Golden Era” and shares the spotlight with EPMD’s Strictly Business, Slick Rick’s The Great Adventures Of…, and MC Lyte’s Lyte As A Rock.
Tracks such as “Ain’t No Half Steppin’”, “Raw”, and “Just Rhymin’ With Biz”(who initially introduced Kane to the game), were just a few of the gems on this timeless classic that will forever be ethced in the minds of Hip Hop aficionados.
Salute to Kane and company for giving the fans this solid, flawless piece of Hip Hop history!
On Wednesday (April 10), 94.7 The Block on WXBK played a recording of Mister Cee’s 2022 mix tributing Biggie Smalls on what would’ve been the late rapper’s 50th birthday. “Sky’s The Limit” rang with a different tone amid news that the legendary radio DJ and historic hip-hop cultural contributor, real name Calvin LeBrun, had passed away at the age of 57 due to unknown causes at press time. Also known as The Finisher or The Wallop King, Cee was an instrumental figure in rap from the late 1980s onward. Upon news of his tragic loss, DJ Premier, 50 Cent, DJ Jazzy Jeff, MC Lyte, Peter Rosenberg, Queen Latifah, and many more shared their heartfelt condolences.
Mister Cee is one of the greatest DJs in the history of New York hip-hop, known for over two decades of being one of many figures who made Hot 97 a juggernaut. From Brooklyn’s public-access station 91.5 WNYE to WBLS and his acclaimed mixtapes, he stands as one of the genre’s great tastemakers. The depth of the Brooklyn native’s knowledge, love, and passion for the culture extended not just to his ’80s and ’90s roots, but also to more contemporary talents. While figures like him might be harder to come by with each passing change of the media guard, his hard work is a testament to the power of hip-hop culture and a beacon for any fan, participant, benefactor, or spectator of it.
Mister Cee and Big Daddy Kane appear at a video release party for a music video project on February 11, 1991 in New York City. (Al Pereira/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)
Calvin LeBrun’s hip-hop story begins as a young Bed-Stuy lad inspired by the World Famous Supreme Team and his late uncle’s crew, DJ Knight and the Knights of Hollywood, to make it in the radio space. His first big break was becoming the DJ of his high school friend Big Daddy Kane in the late 1980s, one of the most significant lyricists of his (and all) time. Mister Cee and his scratches appeared on Kane’s “Mister Cee’s Master Plan” off his 1988 debut, and he nabbed various other credits on the MC’s subsequent albums.
He was also a part of the legendary Juice Crew in the late 1980s alongside Mr. Magic, Roxanne Shante, Kool G Rap, and many more titans whose reverberations are still felt today. Throughout all this, Mister Cee’s popularity as a radio DJ and personality grew exponentially. His shows on Hot 97 and WBLS beginning around 1993 (Throwback at Noon and Friday Night Live) focused on putting on rising artists and playing hip-hop and R&B classics. Even though The Finisher had already etched his name into the history books, an even greater opportunity arrived through a childhood friend.
DJ 50 Grand introduced Mister Cee to a young Biggie Smalls in the early 1990s, and they all re-recorded The Notorious B.I.G.’s demo to get his name out there. Their dreams manifested, as this led to Big’s Bad Boy Records deal and widespread recognition. Cee even got an associate executive producer credit on Biggie’s massive debut album, 1994’s Ready To Die. However, in a November 2023 interview with Rock The Bells, he remembered his Best Of Biggie Smalls mixtape from 1995 as the project that “changed [his] life.” The Wallop King was revered for his 120-minute mixtapes as opposed to 60 or 90-minute material. These were characterized by a non-stop approach to the music that was largely uninterrupted by DJ drops, sounds effects, or run-it-backs.
Mister Cee also joined Funkmaster Flex’s Flip Squad collective of New York DJs, and both got a lyrical shoutout from none other than Jay-Z on his 2009 single “D.O.A. (Death of Auto-Tune).” According to Hot 97, he also helped folks like 50 Cent, Alicia Keys, and Hov himself find the audiences that would lead them to massive success. But after Biggie passed away in 1997, LeBrun knew that he could do more than uplift stars on the come-up. He began paying tribute to hip-hop’s fallen legends on his shows as well, a heartening tradition that he maintained up until his passing.
In 2014, Mister Cee officially left Hot 97 due to differing from its new musical direction. This followed issues surrounding his arrests for prostitution soliciting and controversy stemming from his publicly revealed attraction to transgender women. While this situation was hotly debated at the time, it opened up a larger conversation around homophobia in hip-hop that, although incomplete, has led to significantly progressive strides to combat it. But that doesn’t mean that his hard work ever dwindled or became overshadowed. For example, LeBrun introduced the world to Fetty Wap with his future hit “Trap Queen” in 2014 on Hot 97.
The media industry also celebrated Mister Cee with much respect and adoration, such as his guest appearance in the video game Grand Theft Auto IV as a radio DJ. After leaving Hot 97, he continued to do radio shows, such as WXBX’s aforementioned The Block on 94.7 for throwback classics from hip-hop and R&B, and he posted his mixes online. Cee’s final slot on air was The Set It Off Show on SiriusXM’s Rock The Bells Radio. Testimonies of his greatness, like those from Capitol Records promoter Chris Green, identify him as “the glue between the old and the new” across his many programs. For the indelible seeds he planted and his staunchly good-natured approach to media and hip-hop culture, there is no more fitting or deserved title. Rest In Peace Mister Cee.
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.
Rest in peace to DJ Mister Cee. News about the late New York and hip-hop icon is pouring into social media.
Born Calvin LeBrun on Aug. 17, 1966, Mister Cee had a storied career as an american DJ, broadcaster, record executive, and radio personality on New York’s 103.9 and Hot 97.
Known as “The Finisher,” Mister Cee also executive produced The Notorious B.I.G.’s 1994 debut album, Ready to Die. He most recently could be heard on Rock the Bells radio on SiriusXM and contributing to 94.7 FM The Block, amongst other hosting and events across the New York City area.
The Source will update this post with more details from Mister Cee’s family as they become available.
Messages remembering Mister Cee will be shared below.
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.
R.I.P to the legend MR. Cee God bless him, to all his family and friends I send my condolences. 
Damn yo smh 