Mister Cee, the iconic New York City radio DJ, has reportedly died. He was 57 years old.
Born in Brooklyn, Cee was a prominent figure in the hip-hop scene in New York City and got his start as a DJ and producer for Big Daddy Kane and The Notorious B.I.G., according to his official profile. He also played a role in launching the careers of Drake, Jay-Z, Alicia Keys, and 50 Cent, among others.
Cee's long-running “Throwback at Noon” show became one of the most listened-to programs in NYC radio at Hot 97. At the time of his death, he was working for Audacy’s 94.7 The Block in New York.
The Block radio personality Shelley Wade, joined by the station’s program director Skip Dillard and DJ Dre Boogs, broke the news of his passing on Wednesday afternoon live on air.
“I know some of you guys already heard the news. We were trying to be respectful of his family before we went on air with it … We have lost our family member Mister Cee,” said Wade.
“We wanted to, first off, offer prayers to Mister Cee’s family. Calvin LeBrun is a legend across the earth for anybody that knew anything or loved hip-hop in any way, shape, or form,” said Dillard. “DJ Mister Cee did pass away, we do not know exactly when, and we will not share any details that we know in respect of his family.”
Dillard, who said everyone at Audacy was “heartbroken” over the news, also offered his condolences to other radio stations where Cee worked, including Hot 97 and Sirius XM with Rock the Bells Radio.
“This is bigger than one radio station. Mister Cee worked for The Block but he was universal family for all of us. We want everyone to know today this is a sadness, this is a state of just being heartbroken that we share with anybody that loves hip-hop,” Dillard said.
He continued, “He held no silos; even if you were going to a competing radio station, he may call the program director on your behalf. Mister Cee helped everybody. He would allow you to go wherever you wanted to go with his blessings. That’s the kind of man Mister Cee was … He was a musicologist, he loved New York, he loved people, and he loved hip-hop. And loved it so much that it literally inspired generations.”
News of Cee’s passing spread on social media and inspired eulogies from several names in the hip-hop world, including Ebro in the Morning co-host Peter Rosenberg, who wrote, “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.”
The radio station then played Biggie's "Sky's the Limit" as a tribute to the DJ.
Former MTV VJ and radio personality Ed Lover also shared his condolences on Instagram.
“My heart is broken! All that knew him loved him! Take the music to heaven and put the Wallop down! Rest in Peace @djmistercee,” wrote Lover.
MC Lyte shared a photo with Mister Cee to her Instagram with the caption, "I’m heartbroken. Wasn’t expecting this at all 😢. God Bless his soul. Mister Cee 🖤Rest in power & peace!! 🙏🏽🖤"
In an interview with Rock the Bells published last year, Mister Cee said his favorite mixtape was his 1995 Best of Biggie tape.
“It's the Best of Biggie. That mixtape changed my life. It changed everything. My brand, my life. With Best of Biggie, I made the most money,” said Cee at the time.
However, the now iconic mixtape almost never saw the light of day due to a dispute from his label, Arista Records.
“When Best of Biggie came out, I got a cease and desist from Arista Records. They told me not to put the tape out. I got scared and told Steve and Ian from Tape Kings that we had to shut the tape down,” Cee recalled. “A week later, I got the idea to talk to Puff about it. He told me not to worry and put the tape out, and he would speak to Arista. It's what's making Biggie hot in the streets. We put the tape back out and didn't have any trouble.”
Complex has reached out to Mister Cee's team for a statement and will update this story accordingly.
