The January loss of Crazy Toones, remembered most for his work as a member of WC and The Maad Circle, left a gaping hole in the hearts of many. Celebrated as a producer and DJ, the man born Lamar Dupré Calhoun was the biological brother of rapper WC and appeared on the road with Ice Cube as his most recent DJ. His relationship with Cube went far beyond a professional partnership, however, and at Calhoun’s funeral, Cube reportedly made the statement that he did not want any other DJ to be behind him on stage, for the rest of his performing career.

DJ Crazy Toones, Producer/Member of WC & The Maad Circle Has Passed Away

That’s an anecdote DJ Premier recently shared on his Instagram page, along with performance footage of Ice Cube at the recent Ultra Music Festival in Miami, Florida. There, Cube rocked the stage, and he proved he meant what he said a Crazy Toones’ funeral. “@icecube said this at DJ Crazy Toones’s Funeral that he doesn’t want another DJ standing behind him onstage…As you can see in Miami at the Ultra Music Festival he kept it that way…Damn I Miss My Friend! To his brother WC, we always got you! LOVE 4 LIFE!,” reads Preemo’s caption. The original posting came from Cube himself (which was then shared by WC), along with the caption “Paying respects to the almighty DJ Crazy Toones at Ultra in Miami.”

The video itself opens with the words “Rest In Peace Lamar ‘DJ Crazy Toones’ Calhoun,” signifying the forethought that went into Cube’s decision to share this with his 8.6 million followers. In the performance, a fully functioning DJ set up can be seen, but there is nobody on the 1s and 2s. Instead, it’s placed on stage as a symbolic gesture and homage to his late friend. An empty mic – similar to the one set up for Phife Dawg at the Grammys – is brightly illuminated, and Cube asks the massive crowd to “throw up a ‘C’ for the homeboy Crazy Toones!!!,” to which they faithfully oblige. “We love you, homie. We always gon’ love you,” he says as the camera pans over the empty DJ decks.

Crazy Toones passed away on January 9, 2017 from a heart attack at the age of 45. His memory lives on, however. In this 2009 footage, he can be seen rocking the stage with his brother WC and beloved friend Ice Cube.