Kool DJ Red Alert (born Fred Crute in November 27, 1956) is an American disc jockey who rose to fame on 98.7 Kiss-FM in New York City, and has been recognized as a hip hop pioneer.[2] Red Alert has been noted for breaking in such acts and artists as A Tribe Called Quest, Queen Latifah, and Black Sheep.[3] He grew up in Harlem, New York.