Christopher Wong Won, a founder of the controversial rap group 2 Live Crew, died in Miami on Thursday at age 53.

The Trinidadian-born Wong Won was known as Fresh Kid Ice. DJ Mr Mixx (David Hobbs), another co-founder, told the Jamaica Observer that Wong Won died in hospital in Miami.

He did not give the cause of death.

Along with Amazing Vee (Yuri Vielot), they formed 2 Live Crew in California in 1985, shortly after leaving the United States Air Force.

The trio were eventually joined by Luther Campbell, a Miami show promoter known as Luke Skywalker. Campbell, who also has Caribbean heritage, promoted the group’s first show, which took place in Miami, and joined them shortly afterwards.

In the 1980s Wong Won and the group recorded a number of salacious songs that were banned from the American airwaves, including We Want Some P….y and Me So Horny.

It earned them national notoriety and helped their first album, The 2 Live Crew Is What We Are, sell gold (500,000 copies).

With the exception of Hobbs, the group reunited for a tour in 2016. Hobbs said he and Wong Won were not on speaking terms for one year.

“He was a good-natured person, but we had our differences. The music industry, it brings out the worst in people,” said Hobbs.

Christopher Wong Won was born in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago’s capital. He migrated to the US as a pre-teen and graduated from high school in Brooklyn, New York.

He served in the US Air Force from 1981-85.

— Howard Campbell