Pioneering Asian-American rapper Fresh Kid Ice from 2 Live Crew dies

Fresh Kid Ice, the pioneering hip-hop artist from 2 Live Crew who paved the way for Asian-American rappers, has died aged 53.

The rapper, whose real name was Christopher Wong Won, died in Miami after suffering from an undisclosed illness.

2 Live Crew were the first artists to have a "Parental Advisory: Explicit Content" label on an album.

Fresh Kid Ice was also credited with discovering Flo Rida.

Flo Rida posted a message on Instagram which included a bible quote.

Rapper Rick Ross also sent his condolences.

The controversial rap group 2 Live Crew were known for their sexually explicit lyrics and album covers.

Their most successful song was 1989's Me So Horny from the album As Nasty As They Wanna Be.

As Nasty As They Wanna Be featured the members of 2 Live Crew looking at the camera through women's legs.

As Nasty As They Wanna Be was the first music to be declared legally obscene by the US government.

Although the ruling was overturned a few years later, the attention it received helped the album to go double platinum.

The group followed this up in 1990 with Banned in the USA, which was the first album cover to feature a "Parental Advisory: Explicit Content" label.

Its title track was a direct reference to the banning of their previous album and featured a sample of Bruce Springsteen's Born in the USA.

MC Hammer wrote: "So many fun times and good memories with #FreshKidIce".

Banned in the USA's cover featured the band wearing T-shirts which read: "Censorship is un-American".

Fresh Kid Ice was born in Trinidad and Tobago in 1964 to Chinese and Trinidadian parents.

He released a solo album in 1992 called The Chinaman.

"The Asians were there in the beginning of hip-hop - but as DJs," he told Vice in 2016.

He says that many people did not realise that he was Asian until they saw his music videos: "Other people could be like, 'Damn, that could be me. I didn't know an Asian dude was rapping like that!'"

Before before 2 Live Crew, sexually explicit lyrics weren't as prevalent in rap music.

He was the only 2 Live Crew member to appear on all their albums but suffered two strokes in 2008 and 2010.

2 Live Crew's Uncle Luke said "we lost a legend".

P-Money sent his condolences on Twitter.

Flavor Flav called it "another sad day in hip hop".

JT Money said Fresh Kid Ice's "music & legacy lives on."

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