Mark Ross—better known as Brother Marquis of the hip-hop group 2 Live Crew—has died. He was 58. The group’s manager confirmed his death on Monday, June 3, but shared no other details.
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In 1983, while living in California, Ross began the group The Cautious Crew with fellow rapper Rodney-O, releasing two 12-inch singles—”Westside Storie” and “Rhythm Rock.” Ross caught the attention of Mr. Mixx, AKA David Hobbs, who was a DJ and producer for 2 Live Crew. Hobbs wanted Ross in the group, so when one of the other members left, Ross, then only 19 years old, flew to Miami and joined 2 Live Crew alongside Hobbs, Christopher Wong Won—known as Fresh Kid Ice—and Luther Campbell—known as Luke Skyywalker.
2 Live Crew has already recorded the song “Trow The D. And Ghetto Bass” in 1986, which became the foundation of the Miami bass subgenre. Through that song, the group became pioneers in the movement, which featured sustained kick drum, high-energy dance tempos, heavy bass, and sexually explicit lyrics. 2 Live Crew also frequently featured comedy in their work, which Hobbs once said Ross was perfect for.
According to a 2016 interview that Hobbs did with Red Bull Music Academy, “[Ross] was always naturally funny. Since the stuff was coming off of comedy records, it went hand in hand with him.”
Brother Marquis, Miami Bass Pioneer and Member of 2 Live Crew, Dies at 58
That iteration of the 2 Live Crew lineup broke up in 1992, and Ross moved to Georgia. He subsequently joined up with Idrin Davis, AKA DJ Toomp, and formed 2 Nazty. In 1993, they debuted with the album Indecent Exposure, which Ross said at the time was his intention to stay true to the Miami bass style that he pioneered while also showcasing his diverse talents.
Most notably, Ross unintentionally came up with the hook for Ice-T’s song “99 Problems.” As discussed in 2014 in an interview with HipHopDX, Ice-T was explaining the song idea to Ross, and Ross randomly said, “Man, I got 99 problems, but a b—h ain’t one.” That line has now been immortalized not only in the original song, but in the 2003 remake by Jay-Z.
Ross eventually reunited with 2 Live Crew’s Hobbs and Wong Won in 1995 to record the soundtrack to the Ice Cube-led film Friday. In 1996, the three recorded another 2 Live Crew album, Shake a Lil’ Somethin’, and then subsequently their final album, The Real One, in 1998. Following Wong Won’s death in 2017, Hobbs and Ross continued to tour under the 2 Live Crew banner.
Throughout his life and time with 2 Live Crew, Mark Ross was a hip-hop pioneer, a comedian, and a clever wordsmith. His death is felt heavily by family, friends, and fans.
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