2 Live Crew Founding Member Fresh Kid Ice Dead at 53

Christopher Wong Won, who was known as Fresh Kid Ice, died Tuesday at the age of 53. He was a pioneering Asian rapper and co-founding member of influential group 2 Live Crew, according to TMZ.

Fresh Kid Ice formed the hip hop group with Amazing Vee and DJ Mr. Mixx in 1984. The trio them hooked up with Luther Campbell when they signed with his recording label.

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Luther Campbell, a.k.a. Uncle Luke, tweeted condolences.

“My Condolence goes out to the family Chris Wong Wong (sic) Fresh Kid Ice of the 2 Live Crew who just passed away people we lost a legend,” he wrote.

Fresh Kid Ice and 2 Live Crew became the poster children for First Amendment Rights when they hit it big on the music scene. After they released the “As Nasty As They Wanna Be” album, it was the first to be labeled legally obscene by the government.

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In addition to his role in 2 Live Crew, Fresh Kid Ice also formed Chinaman Records.

Fresh Kid previously addressed how being one of the first Asian rappers impacted his fans.

“When we first started, a lot of people didn’t know I was Asian,” Fresh Kid Ice said during an interview with Vice in 2016. “But when the videos came out, it basically crossed the group over. Other people could be like, ‘Damn, that could be me. I didn’t know an Asian dude was rapping like that!’”

Fresh Kid has experienced medical issues in the past. In 2008 he suffered a stroke and then another in 2010, according to Rolling Stone. The incidents impaired his ability to move and speak. However, he retaught himself how to talk and walk before reuniting with Uncle Luke and Brother Marquis in 2012.

Since his untimely passing, a number of celebrities have taken to social media to pay tribute.