Russell Simmons Shares News Of Rap Pioneer Eddie Cheeba's Hospitalization

BYGabriel Bras NevaresPublished on October 05, 2023853 Views

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - AUGUST 13: (L-R) Miranda Tan, Althea Lim, Nikki D, Russell Simmons, and Eddie Cheeba attend the Masterminds Of Hip Hop NFT Launch Party at Goldbar on August 13, 2021 in New York City. (Photo by Johnny Nunez/WireImage/Getty Images)

Cheeba was the New York DJ who inspired the Def Jam co-founder to pursue a lane within hip-hop back in the 1970s.

Def Jam co-founder and controversial rap legend Russell Simmons celebrated his 66th birthday on Wednesday (October 4). Unfortunately, the occasion came paired with some worrisome news from him concerning one of hip-hop's first influential figures and DJs, Eddie Cheeba. For those unaware, Rush was inspired to carve out his lane in the genre after he heard Cheeba perform in Harlem in 1977. Via Instagram, he shared that the New York pioneer is currently hospitalized, and urged fans to send their best wishes forward. Throughout the now-66-year-old's lengthy statement, he detailed Eddie's indelible impact.

"PRAYERS UP The great eddie cheba is in the hospital," Russell Simmons wrote. "For all of you reporters YOU SHOULD KNOW THIS. The absolute facts are as follows. If u couldn't get hollywood you got cheba if u couldnt get cheba u got love bug starski rip again. This is actual facts. If u got all 3 the number of tickets would skyrocket and u 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.

Russell Simmons Sends Love To Eddie Cheeba

"THIS IS THE FACT," Russell Simmons continued. "THE ONLY OTHER DRAW OF THIS MAGNITUDE WAS GRANDMASTER FLASH AND He had a younger crowd ALMOST EVER-TIME I BOOKED HIM... IT WAS SHOOT OUT. But he was in their league in terms of tickets sales and celebrity status. If u 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. Dese n***as ain't even dead and f***ing up the history rip love big starsky."

Meanwhile, the trailblazing executive dealt with a lot of family drama as of late. It mostly relates to his public outbursts and falling-outs with his daughters, which seemingly quieted down. Whether it's that situation or this recent revelation, we can't imagine it's an easy birthday for him. Still, we hope the DJ undergoes a speedy recovery soon. For more news and the latest updates on Russell Simmons and Eddie Cheeba, log back into HNHH.

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About The Author

Gabriel Bras Nevares

Gabriel Bras Nevares is a music and pop culture news writer for HotNewHipHop. He started in 2022 as a weekend writer and, since joining the team full-time, has developed a strong knowledge in hip-hop news and releases. Whether it’s regular coverage or occasional interviews and album reviews, he continues to search for the most relevant news for his audience and find the best new releases in the genre. What excites him the most is finding pop culture stories of interest, as well as a deeper passion for the art form of hip-hop and its contemporary output. Specifically, Gabriel enjoys the fringes of rap music: the experimental, boundary-pushing, and raw alternatives to the mainstream sound. As a proud native of San Juan, Puerto Rico, he also stays up-to-date with the archipelago’s local scene and its biggest musical exponents in reggaetón, salsa, indie, and beyond. Before working at HotNewHipHop, Gabriel produced multiple short documentaries, artist interviews, venue spotlights, and audio podcasts on a variety of genres and musical figures. Hardcore punk and Go-go music defined much of his coverage during his time at the George Washington University in D.C. His favorite hip-hop artists working today are Tyler, The Creator, Boldy James, JPEGMAFIA, and Earl Sweatshirt.