Rapper Brother Marquez, a member of 2 Live Crew, has died at the age of 58

Rapper Brother Marquez, who was part of the popular rap group 2 Live Crew, has died at the age of 58.

The group announced the New York native’s death on social media. He died on Monday.

“Mark Ross aka Brother Marquez from the 2Live crew went to the loft,” the group wrote. On Instagram Next to a picture of him.

The caption has since been updated to “Mark Ross aka Brother Marquez of the 2 Live crew has passed away.”

The cause of death has not been revealed at this time.

The group’s director confirmed the news to TMZ. Sources told the outlet that there was no criminal suspicion.

Rapper Uncle Luke, the band’s leader, paid tribute to his former member on social media.

The rapper, whose real name is Luther Campbell, said: “I extend my condolences to Brother Marquez’s family and his many fans from all over the world after learning of his death.” Written on X.

“We have fought many battles for the culture (and) made great music together which is something I will never forget. We recently came back together to fight another fight to get back the catalog that was stolen from us. We will continue that fight in his name for the sake of his family.”

“The Brother Marquez I know wants us to celebrate his life (and) that’s exactly what I’m going to do. Rest in peace, brother,” added Campbell, who is currently preparing to run for Congress in his home state of Florida.

Brother Marquez was born in Rochester, whose real name is Mark D. Ross, and joined a Miami hip-hop group when he was 19 years old in 1986.

The group released their debut album “The 2 Live Crew Is What We Are” in the same year.

Rapper Fresh Ice Kid, whose real name was Chris Wong Won, died in 2017. He was also a co-member of the popular rap group.

Marquez was one of the most prominent members of 2 Live Crew, alongside rappers Uncle Luke, Fresh Kid Ice, and Mr. Mixx.

Their status as hip-hop legends quickly gained status for the rappers, whose 1989 album “As Nasty As They Wanna Be” was the focus of a high-profile obscenity case.

“As Nasty As They Wanna Be” – the album whose lead single “Me So Horny” sampled obscene phrases spoken by a Vietnamese prostitute in Stanley Kubrick’s 1987 war film “Full Metal Jacket” – was declared legally obscene in 1990 By South Florida Federal Judge Jose Gonzalez Jr.

The ruling threatened to criminally convict music sellers for distributing the album and muzzle the artists with explicit lyrics.

Gonzalez’s ruling was overturned two years later by the US Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit – and the members of 2 Live Crew were acquitted in a separate trial after they were arrested for performing some of the album’s songs at a concert.

The controversy surrounding the album spawned the group’s 1990 chart-topping hit “Banned in the USA,” which included a ban on the initial court ruling, their subsequent arrest and a full-throated defense of “freedom of expression.”

The group is currently locked in a legal battle with Lil Joe Records over the rights and ownership of the music.