His Work with Biggie Smalls and Hip-Hop Legacy

I had the privilege of admiring my Uncle Calvin from afar. Considering he was a renowned disc jockey, more commonly known as DJ Mister Cee, I didn’t see much of him growing up—mostly at family gatherings, or while he was working various events around New York City.

Still, from hearing his voice on the radio to seeing his soda sold in stores, Calvin Lebrun, a.k.a. DJ Mister Cee, became an influential figure in my life. He also happened to be a hip-hop giant.

Known as “The Finisher,” he was one of the DJs who helped introduce Biggie Smalls—a.k.a. “The Notorious B.I.G.”—to the world.

More recently, some promoters and critics have tried to downplay his accomplishments. But you can’t rewrite hip-hop history, or overlook Mister Cee’s significant role in it.

Working With Biggie Smalls

Calvin LeBrun was born on August 17, 1966 and grew up in Brooklyn, New York. He was of Trinidadian descent and raised in the borough’s Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood in Lafayette Gardens, a New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) complex known as the “LG projects.” His grandparents raised him, and he grew up listening to hits by artists such as Gladys Knight and Stevie Wonder. He always recounted how his late uncle Barry, a DJ on a crew called DJ Knight and the Knights of Hollywood, fostered his love for music and taught him the trade.

Rapper Biggie Smalls, also known as “The Notorious B.I.G.,” in November 1994.

When LeBrun was a senior at Sarah J. Hill High School, he met Antonio Hardy—also known as Big Daddy Kane—and became Hardy’s official DJ. The two joined the iconic hip-hop group the Juice Crew in 1988. After high school, LeBrun worked for several messenger companies, including Airborne Express, which he quit after the release of Big Daddy Kane’s first album, Long Live the Kane, in 1988.

In 1992, a friend and DJ named 50 Grand introduced LeBrun to Christopher Wallace, who would become known as Biggie Smalls. LeBrun worked with Wallace to transform his original home-based demo into a four-track sample that helped kickstart the rapper’s career.

“The plan was we were going to redo the basement demo that he and 50 Grand put together,” LeBrun told Rock the Bells. “We were at my house. I did it with two turntables, just cutting the record back and forth. We had a little cheesy mic that was better than the mic 50 Grand had at his house.”

LeBrun shared the demo with Matty C, the writer behind the “Unsigned Hype” column in Source magazine, where Biggie was first featured. “All I did at the time was try to get anybody and everybody to listen to him. Big Daddy Kane, Masta Ace, I would try to force Biggie down their throat, like you gotta hear this guy,” LeBrun recalled in the same interview.

From there, Biggie went on to work with Sean “Puff Daddy” Combs and eventually signed to Bad Boy Records. LeBrun’s relationship with the rapper continued, and he served as the associate executive producer of Biggie’s debut album Ready to Die, which he released in 1994 under the name The Notorious B.I.G.

The Freestyle With Tupac

One of the most memorable moments from LeBrun’s relationship with Biggie occurred at the 1993 Budweiser Superfest. That year’s festival, which was held at at Madison Square Garden in New York, largely featured R&B and soul acts like Bell Biv DeVoe, Patti LaBelle, and SWV. In a departure from the norm, Big Daddy Kane put on a hip-hop show to remember featuring Tupac Shakur, Biggie, Shyheim, and a few other notable rappers.

“We were the only hip hop act on the show,” LeBrun recalled in an episode of the podcast Apt 5H with DJ Self. “We had 10 minutes, and so Kane just decided to bring everybody on stage and I was just like I got to catch this moment.”

Calvin, left, and Darrell LeBrun

“[Kane] did one song, and after he does the song, he tells Calvin to bring the beat down,” my father Darrell LeBrun, Calvin’s younger brother, recalled. LeBrun then played a famous breakbeat before Kane introduced his special guest to the crowd.

“Where’s Tupac and Biggie?” Kane yelled, as the crowd screamed. Big Scoob, who appeared on the Long Live the Kane album, kicked off the freestyle rap. He was followed by Biggie, who yelled the now famous line, “Where’s Brooklyn at? Where’s Brooklyn at?” Tupac soon followed up with his own freestyle, and LeBrun was luckily able to record the session.

Earlier that day, the sound technician had refused to let anyone audio record the set that night, despite LeBrun’s pleas. However, he wouldn’t take no for an answer. “I went across the street from Madison Square Garden and bought a 120-minute cassette. One hour on one side, one hour on the other side,” LeBrun said to DJ Self in an interview. He recorded the set, cut it, and shared it with the world—though it wouldn’t truly gain steam until after Biggie’s shocking death in March 1997.

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The recording embodies the short-lived friendship between Tupac and Biggie.

“Tupac blamed Biggie for [the 1994 incident] where he got robbed in Quad Studios,” Darrell LeBrun said. “That moment, where you have them two-on-one recording became more valuable, because one would never see them two record again. They became sworn enemies.”

How DJ Mister Cee Became a Mixtape Master

Calvin LeBrun transitioned from working for Big Daddy Kane to becoming a DJ on HOT97, New York City’s top hip-hop station. He took the air every day for the throwback at noon, as well as on Friday for “Friday Night Live.” He was a connoisseur of hip-hop and Caribbean music, with the ability to command a set filled with love and good vibes every day.

He also sold mixtapes during this time. More specifically, LeBrun started a “Best Of” mixtape series, Darrell said. In 1995, a year after the release of Biggie’s debut album, LeBrun released the Best of Biggie mixtape featuring the Madison Square Garden show and other known classics like “Real Love,” “Who Shot Ya?,” and “Can’t You See.” He later created mixtapes for Jay-Z, Method Man, and others.

Learn About Other Hip-Hop Superstars

LeBrun was the first to play records for a number of other artists on the radio and in the club. While he is primarily known for helping Biggie’s career, he also helped pave the way for performers like 50 Cent, Alicia Keys, and Fetty Wap, whose hit song “Trap Queen” debuted in Lebrun’s DJ set on HOT97.

LeBrun was truly a pioneer in his field and also a savvy businessman. He established an endorsement deal with the Tropical Fantasy soft drink brand for his own soda, Tropical Island Punch, in 2008. He also lent his voice to the 2008 video game Grand Theft Auto IV as the co-host of in-game radio station The Beat 102.7.

Behind the scenes, however, LeBrun also dealt with legal trouble. He was arrested in May 2013 for allegedly soliciting an undercover police officer posing as a prostitute. A couple months later in September, he resigned from HOT97 after an audio recording depicted him allegedly offering a drag queen money for sex. LeBrun was candid about this tumultuous time in his life, recalling it in multiple interviews.

LeBrun did return to HOT97 before ultimately resigning again in November 2014—after 21 years as a DJ for the station. He found his way back on the air and was working as a DJ at WXBK 94.7 at the time of his death on April 10, 2024 from diabetes-related coronary artery and kidney disease.

LeBrun dedicated nearly 40 years to his craft as a DJ, building a legacy that won't be forgotten. Just as his uncle helped foster his love for music, he fostered my love for hip-hop—and likely did so for many others. For that reason, I am thankful.

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