Calvin LeBrun, better known to us all as Mister Cee, passed away on Wednesday. And since he meant so much to the mixtape community, New York City, and hip-hop overall, we want to take a moment to pay our respects.
Before we ever knew Mister Cee personally, we were fans. We copped his tapes, and we listened to him faithfully on the radio.
When it was time for us to start putting together Do Remember!, he was one of the first people we reached out to for an interview. Without hesitation, Cee was with it. And when the book was released, he was quick to post about it and show his support.
At our release party inside the new Kith store in Brooklyn, Mister Cee once again came through for us. Not only did he hold down the decks the entire night, but he took the time to shine a light on us as authors, interviewing us in front of everyone about the origins of the book and our favorite mixtape memories. It was something we did not know was going to happen—he just naturally wanted to show love.
Since the news broke earlier this week, we’ve watched the outpouring of messages posted by his peers and fellow fans. We listened as 94.7 The Block paid tribute to him by re-running his The Notorious B.I.G. 50th Birthday Celebration Mix, and we bugged out when he played gems like his rare freestyle with B.I.G. over the original “Dead Wrong” beat and the unreleased third verse of “Somebody’s Gotta Die.” And we got choked up the next day as the Hot 97 Morning Show team reminisced about their most cherished Mister Cee memories.
The Notorious B.I.G. “Dead Wrong (Original Version)” // The Notorious B.I.G. ft. Mister Cee “Dead Wrong (Freestyle)” // The Notorious B.I.G. “Somebody’s Gotta Die (Unreleased Verse)”:
It’s clear from the overwhelming response to his passing that the hip-hop community lost a true pillar yesterday. But more importantly, it lost a true friend.
Our deepest condolences go out to Mister Cee’s family and loved ones. Thank you, Mister Cee, for everything. We will all miss you.
One of the radio greats!