Pioneering DJ Eddie Cheeba Suffers Third Stroke; Russell Simmons Calls For Action

December 05, 2018

The Def Jam Recordings co-founder tells AllHipHop he’s stable but remains hospitalized.

The first time Russell Simmons saw the “world famous” Eddie Cheeba perform at the Harlem club Charles Gallery, it was 1977. That night inspired Simmons to pursue a career in Hip-Hop, and it wouldn’t be long before both Rush Communications and Def Jam Recordings became a reality. Cheeba was known as one of the best DJs in the city alongside DJ Hollywood and Luv Bug Starski. He would rap along to the music and get the crowd going, something not every DJ could necessarily do.

But now, Cheeba isn’t doing so well. On Thursday (October 5), Simmons shared an Instagram post indicating Eddie Cheeba had been hospitalized. AllHipHop.com reached out to the Def Jam co-founder and discovered Cheeba had suffered a stroke. But the following day, Cheeba’s condition worsened. As Simmons tells us, “Eddie suffered his third stroke. He’s stable but having issues with memory. We are praying for his full recovery.”

He continues, “The original prince of Hip-Hop, Eddie Cheeba, suffered a stroke and is in the hospital recovering. We should all pray for this man because we stand on his shoulders. As a hustler or promoter of Hip-Hop culture, getting Eddie Cheeba to play your party ensured a huge turnout of people who would not only pay $6.50 to get in but would also drink away the cost of the ballroom rental, which most times was a bar guarantee). There was absolutely no one—except DJ Hollywood—who could sell more tickets and make us more money.

“The only other group who could sell that many tickets, maybe even more, was the great Grandmaster Flash, but his crowd was younger and the ticket prices mostly had to be lower. The bar guarantee was an obstacle because most of the crowd was too young to get in that kind of venue and also, you were very likely to have a shootout at the party. Let’s pray for the great Eddie Cheeba.”

Eddie Cheeba’s contributions to Hip-Hop culture have been somewhat understated over the years. Even as Hip-Hop celebrates its 50th anniversary, he, DJ Hollywood and Luv Bug Starski are often left out of the conversation. As Chuck D told Wax Poetics in 2020, “Eddie Cheeba was as important to Hip-Hop/rap as Ike Turner was to rock and roll. Nowhere does he get his due credit for spreading it from the BX [the Bronx] to [make it more] accessible.”

Needless to say, Simmons understands just how impactful Cheeba was and makes it a point to mention it every chance he gets.

“The great Eddie Cheeba is in the hospital,” he wrote in his original post. “For all of you reporters, YOU SHOULD KNOW THIS. The absolute facts are as follows: if you couldn’t get DJ Hollywood, you got Cheeba. If you couldn’t get Cheeba, you got Love Bug Starski (RIP). Again, this is actual facts. If you got all three, the number of tickets would skyrocket and you could also pay the bar guarantee. They were the rap STARS and the biggest money makers and draws.

“As a promoter who worked all the boroughs (except Staten Island), THIS IS THE FACT THE ONLY OTHER DRAW OF THIS MAGNITUDE WAS GRANDMASTER FLASH and he had a younger crowd ALMOST EVERY TIME I BOOKED HIM IT WAS A SHOOT OUT. But he was in their league in terms of tickets sales and celebrity status. If you are writing something else go to the Bronx or Harlem and ask any 65-70 year old. The history is the history misrepresentation of it is criminal. These n###as ain’t even dead and f###ing up the history. RIP Love Bug Starski.”

AllHipHop wishes Eddie Cheeba a speedy recovery.

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