Brother Marquis of 2 Live crew he was not a founding member of the controversial Hip-Hop outfit, but was integral to its success. While the cause of death has not been announced, the group's official Instagram page announced the death of Brother Marquis with fans expressing shock.
Brother Marquis was born Mark Ross on April 4, 1966, and grew up in Rochester, New York, before moving to Los Angeles, California, with his mother as a teenager. While in Los Angeles, Marquis immersed himself in the music scene and released music with fellow rapper Rodney-O as The Cautious Crew.
The first edition of 2 Live Crew was founded in Riverside, California, with DJ Mr. Mixx, the late Fresh Kid Ice (Christopher Wong Won) and Amazing Vee. After Amazing Vee left the group, Marquis joined the group and they helped establish the early roots of the Miami Bass sound before moving to Florida and then signing to Luke Skywalker Records with label head Uncle Luke joining the group as hypeman and manager.
The group saw a string of hit releases from the 1980s to the early 1990s that were based on the crazy raps of Brother Marquis and Fresh Kid Ice, with Uncle Luke playing a prominent role on the wax. The band broke up and reunited several times, and before Fresh Kid Ice's death in 2017, there were talks of new music.
My condolences to the family and friends of Mark “Brother Marquis” Ross.
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Photo: Getty
