DJ Crazy Toones, long time DJ to Ice Cube and real life brother to WC, has passed away.
One of the West Coast’s most respected figures, Crazy Toones witnessed and played parts in some of the most important events in Hip-Hop, including the early formation of the crew that would later become known as NWA.
Toones himself would go on to write his own legacy. He got his start in a group called Low Profile that he started with WC, Sir Jinx and DJ Aladdin, who later became Ice-T‘s DJ. They would enjoy mild success with their 1989 hit “Pay Ya Dues.”
After Low Profile dismantled and Alladin left, the group returned as The Maad Circle with a new member, Coolio. They released two albums including 1995’s Curb Servin’ that included the hit “West Up!” featuring Ice Cube and Mack 10, a precursor to the group Westside Connection.
Toones is also credited as being one of the first, if not the first West Coast DJ to put out a mixtape with 1995’s That Nigga’s Crazy, pt. 1.
Toones would keep a relatively low profile through most of his career, getting occasional placements as a producer on Ice Cube’s albums. He primarily became known as Cube’s official tour DJ.
Toones work resonated with many from coast to coast with many of his peers looking at him as a friend more than a collaborator.
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The cause of death remains unknown. Toones was 45.
