Mister Cee

• Name — Mister Cee • Birth Name — Calvin LeBrun • Alias — * The Finisher • The Wallop King • DJ Mister Cee • Born — 17 August 1966 • Birthplace — New York City, U.S. • Died — 10 April 2024 • Place of death — New York City, U.S. • Genre — Hip hop • Occupation — * Disc jockey • radio personality • broadcaster • Years Active — 1987–2024 • Past Member Of — * The Flip Squad • Juice Crew

LeBrun was born on August 17, 1966, in Bedford–Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, New York City. At a young age, he learned how to DJ from a crew called DJ Knight and the Knights of Hollywood. In high school, he met rapper Big Daddy Kane. After graduation, he worked for several messenger companies, including Airborne Express, until he began deejaying for Kane in the late 1980s. He appeared on the track "Mister Cee's Master Plan" from Kane's 1988 debut album, Long Live the Kane, and was a member of the Juice Crew, alongside rapper Roxanne Shante. In the early 1990s, he gained popularity as a radio DJ, showcasing the music of rising artists. His radio shows Throwback at Noon and Friday Night Live would air respectively on New York radio stations Hot97 and WBLS. During this time, LeBrun discovered the Notorious B.I.G., otherwise known as Biggie Smalls, after meeting the rapper through his DJ 50 Grand. He would serve as B.I.G.’s mentor, help record B.I.G.'s demo and facilitate the deal that got Notorious B.I.G. signed by Sean "Diddy" Combs to Bad Boy Records. In 1998, LeBrun became a member of The Flip Squad, which included Mark Ronson. He influenced many popular artists, including Alicia Keys, and was referenced in Jay-Z's Death of Autotune. He was one of the first DJs to play Fetty Wap's "Trap Queen" in 2014, helping launch the rapper's career. Aside from his contributions in music, LeBrun also helped develop a new flavor called "Island Punch Finisher" for Tropical Fantasy soft drinks. In 2008, the video game Grand Theft Auto IV featured a realistic Mister Cee character on a rap radio station titled "102.7, the Beat". In 2013, his sexuality entered the public debate after his repeated arrests for soliciting prostitution from trans women. Challenged by his radio cohost Ebro Darden, he was partly secretive, but denied being gay. The controversy persisted until he publicly acknowledged that, while not seeking sex with trans women, he had sought activities such as oral sex, and questioned his sexuality. As a result of the controversy and the station's new plans for music, he resigned from Hot97 temporarily in 2013 and permanently in 2014, moving to his show on WXBK. Despite the prevalence of homophobia in the hip hop community, he received support from many notable hip hop figures, including Questlove. Addressing the incident in 2021 on a podcast hosted by Maino, LeBrun said that being outed made him feel dead and likened the experience to a funeral, stating that in his mind "a whole funeral scene unfolded: who came and didn’t come, who was mourning, who was laughing from the back of the pews." In the same interview he identified himself as a "Try-sexual" meaning that he was "willing to try anything", and affirmed that he was attracted to trans women. In 2020, LeBrun became the host of SiriusXM's “The Set It Off Show” on LL Cool J's Rock the Bells Radio, a position he held until his death.

LeBrun died in New York City on April 10, 2024, at the age of 57 due to "diabetes-related coronary artery/kidney disease." LeBrun's cause of death was confirmed in an official statement from the family. Numerous recording artists and broadcasters expressed their condolences on social media, including 50 Cent, Faith Evans, Queen Latifah, Fat Joe, DJ Premier, Pete Rock, Chuck D, Busta Rhymes, Raekwon, Ed Lover, Memphis Bleek, MC Lyte, Big Daddy Kane, DJ Jazzy Jeff, journalist Elliott Wilson, and Hot 97 DJ Peter Rosenberg.