Quinn Coleman, The Son of Former BET CEO Debra Lee, Dead At 31

Quinn Coleman, a prominent DJ, executive with Capitol Records A & R and the son of former Black Entertainment Television (BET) CEO Debra Lee, died August 16 at the age of 31, Variety reported.

The cause of death has not yet been released, but tributes on social media have poured in from supporters of Coleman and his family.

RIP QUINN COLEMAN pic.twitter.com/23PFOmv98L

— kennybeats (@kennybeats) August 18, 2020

“Man, this one hurts! Since we started @livenationurban, I have been blessed to meet and connect with so many super smart young creatives and business leaders. Amazing young minds that I lean on and have learned so much from and Quinn was part of that circle. Such a bright, positive, smart dude. I appreciate the times we spent together. Rest well young king! Your voice was heard and your impact was felt! @trillectro #Quinncoleman,” Live Urban Nation wrote on Instagram.

Coleman Was A DJ & Capitol Records A & R Executive

As a DJ, Coleman was known as DJ Spiccoli.

He worked his way up in the music industry, Variety reported, first as an intern at Sirius XM and then becoming a music programming coordinator. He went to work for Warner Bros. Records, where he was their “Artists & Repertoire” manager and a marketing coordinator. In May of 2018, he was hired at Capitol Recrods to be an A & R executives, giving him access to new and upcoming talent.

Some of that talent included the group Coleman first signed, known as Brasstracks, who wrote a Twitter message honoring him with a dedication in their album slated to come out August 21, “RIP Quinn Coleman. We’ll miss you. We dedicate this album to you. You worked so so hard on it,” the group said.

At some point, Coleman co-founded a marketing group which put on a music festival located in Washington, D.C. called “Trillectro” meant to highlight burgeoning hip-hop and electronic artists, The Grio reported.

Capitol Records president Jeff Vaughn reportedly released a statement, in which he said: “We are all devastated to learn of the untimely passing of our colleague and friend, Quinn Coleman. He will be greatly missed. We offer our deepest condolences to Quinn’s family and loved ones at this extremely
difficult time.”

Coleman’s Death Has Wrought An Outpouring Of Support

My heart just fell to the floor. Quinn Coleman died?

— Em Jai (MJ) (@EmJaiGirl) August 17, 2020

Some have been short, such as this one from Broccoli City, which simply stated, “RIP Quinn Coleman. You will b emissed.”

Others, such as the one from Brasstracks, went more into depth about how Coleman impacted them and their careers:

you really changed our lives and I didn’t get to tell you enough I was waiting to celebrate on Friday with you when our first album was out that you worked so hard on and now I just don’t know what to do. But I know you worked way too hard on this shit to not go through with getting it out there this week so this whole thing is for you.

Quinn Coleman is a legend in this cultural thing that we all live in. The genius, the talent, the personality. He’s one of the great ones. He gave us so much and I know he was gonna give us so much more. I hope God has you covered, my brother. Please watch over us all. Love you. pic.twitter.com/i2qkSsZrII

— That Ain’t The DJ, That’s My DJ (@CoryTownes) August 17, 2020

By most accounts, those who worked with Coleman thought he was excellent at his job and an authentic human being:

“I owe a lot of my success to QUINN COLEMAN..,” one person wrote on Twitter. “bro from the jump was real, introduced me to a lot of folks and always had love to share. This one hit heavy.”

“RIP Quinn “Spicoli“ Coleman. Quinn played a handful of our events and event helped us grow Camp Trill when we were just starting B&L. Being an expert DJ, curator, and A&R, he always had his ears to the streets. Such a kind soul,” “Brownies & Lemonade” wrote, adding, “Always tell ur friends u appreciate them.”

SPICOLI FOREVER. Rest In Peace Quinn Coleman. Stomped the same school grounds as children and didn’t know it then. Thank you for your kindness and careful listening. Thinking of you and yours. Praying for your family.

— mike check mike check (@yourstrulymoody) August 17, 2020

“Jordan” simply wrote, “RIP Quinn Coleman – truly one of the kindest people in the industry, you will be missed.”

Variety reported that a representative for Lee had released a statement:

Quinn was a loving son, brother, cousin and friend, a passionate DJ and A&R executive with a bright future ahead of him. Debra and her family are devastated by Quinn’s passing and ask for privacy and respect as they grieve together.

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