Pioneering rapper Brother Marquis is being hailed as a “legend gone too soon” after his death at age 58.
The member of rap group 2 Live Crew passed away on Monday, June 3, according to the band’s social media accounts – which said he had gone to “the upper room.”
“Mark Ross aka Brother Marquis of the 2 Live Crew has passed away,” a post on its Instagram page announced.
The group’s manager also confirmed the rapper’s death to “TMZ” and didn’t give any further details on the cause or manner.
“Sources with direct knowledge say the death appears to be natural, and there isn’t foul play suspected,” the outlet added.
Brother Marquis’ death follows the 2017 death of 2 Live Crew’s co-founder, Fresh Kid Ice.
Fans filled 2 Live Crew’s social media pages with condolence messages including.
Born Mark D Ross, Marquis was featured on many of the group’s most iconic and controversial albums, including the hit 1989 LP As Nasty As They Wanna Be, which was briefly ruled to be obscene and ultimately led to the rappers’ arrests in 1990.
Brother Marquis was born in Rochester, New York, and moved to Los Angeles with his family as a teen.
He caught the eye of 2 Live Crew DJ Mr. Mixx thanks to his rap battle efforts and performances with his early group, The Cautious Crew.
Even though he missed out on being a founding member of 2 Live Crew, Brother Marquis was with the group on its groundbreaking 1986 debut album The 2 Live Crew Is What We Are.
A year after its release the record peaked at No. 24 on the Billboard Top R&B and hip-hop Albums chart.
It is considered a seminal representation of the Miami bass hip-hop style, which featured drum machines and heavy bass as well as raunchy lyrics – which were banned from U.S. radio.
The group’s controversial As Nasty As They Wanna Be album climbed to No. 29 on the Billboard 200 albums chart, and it was certified double platinum after selling more than two million copies.
One of its best known singles was “Me So Horny,” which infamously featured samples of the title line uttered by a Vietnamese prostitute trying to get cash from U.S. soldiers in Stanley Kubrick’s classic Vietnam film Full Metal Jacket.
