MIAMI (CelebrityAccess) – Mark D. Ross, born in April 1966, better known by his stage name, Brother Marquis, passed away on Monday (June 3), according to a social media post by the rap group 2 Live Crew (2LC) and confirmed to TMZ by 2LC’s manager. “Mark Ross AKA Brother Marquis of the 2 Live Crew has went to the upper room,” read the Instagram (IG) post by 2 Live Crew. The location or cause of death has not been revealed, though Entertainment Weekly reports his death appears to be natural, with no foul play suspected. He was 58.
Fellow 2LC member Luther “Luke” Campbell wrote on social media, “My Condolence goes out to the Family of Brother Marquis and so many of his Fans from around the World after learning his passing. We took on so many fights for the culture and made Great music together something I would never forget. We had recently got back together to take on another fight to get back our catalog that was stolen from us. We will continue that fight in his name for his Family. The Brother Marquis that I know would want us to celebrate his life. That’s exactly what I’m gonna do. R.I.P My Brother.”
Ross was a significant American rap figure and a Miami bass music pioneer. Born in Rochester, NY, Ross moved to Los Angeles in his teens with his mother. By the early 1980s, Ross began his musical journey with The Cautious Crew. His battle rap skills soon caught the attention of DJ and producer David Hobbs (Mr. Mixx), a member of the emerging group 2LC, which laid the foundation for Miami Bass music and made waves in Florida.
2LC, after losing a member, invited Ross to join, integrating into the group’s comedic and explicit style. Alongside Hobbs, Christopher Wong Won (Fresh Kid Ice), and Luther Campbell (Luke Skyywalker), Ross became part of the group’s most renowned lineup. Their breakthrough came in 1986 with the gold-certified debut album The 2 Live Crew Is What We Are.
The group’s success was often accompanied by controversy due to their explicit humor. Nevertheless, they continued to rise with their second album, Move Somethin’ (1988), which also achieved gold status. Their third album, As Nasty As They Wanna Be (1989), reached platinum certification but faced legal battles when a U.S. district court deemed it obscene. Despite prosecution, the group was later acquitted. Before their initial separation, they released two more gold-certified albums: Banned in the U.S.A. (1990) and Sports Weekend: As Nasty as They Wanna Be, Pt. 2 (1991). Ross had departed 2LC by 1994 but rejoined the group for the song “Hoochie Mama” for the Friday soundtrack – an album that reached No. 1 on the Billboard charts.
In addition, Ross pursued various musical projects. He formed the duo 2 Nazty with DJ Toomp, releasing Indecent Exposure in 1993. That same year, Ross featured on Ice-T’s album Home Invasion, contributing to the original version of “99 Problems,” later popularized by Jay-Z. 1996, Ross reunited with Wong Won and Hobbs to release Shake a Lil’ Somethin’, which charted on the Billboard 200 and the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. Their final 2LC album, The Real One, came out in 1998, peaking at #59 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.
In 2006, Ross and Wong Won reformed 2LC, embarking on tours, releasing singles, and making album announcements until Wong Won died in 2017. Ross is survived by his daughter.
RIP.
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