Kid 'n Play
Encyclopedia
Kid 'n Play is an American
hip-hop and comedy
duo from New York City that was popular in the late 1980s and early 1990s. The duo was composed of Christopher "Kid" Reid and Christopher "Play" Martin working alongside their DJ, Mark "DJ Wiz" Eastmond. Besides their successful musical careers, Kid 'n Play are also notable for branching out into acting.
Kid 'n Play recorded three albums together between 1988 and 1991: 2 Hype
(1988), Kid 'n Play's Funhouse
(1990), and Face the Nation
(1991). Hurby "Luv Bug" Azor, the producer for Salt-n-Pepa
(who had been a member of the The Super Lovers with Play) served as Kid 'n Play's manager and producer during the early portion of their career. All three albums focused upon positive lyrics backed by pop
-friendly instrumental tracks. Among the group's most successful singles were 1989's "Rollin' with Kid 'n Play" (#11 on the Billboard R&B singles chart
), 1990s "Funhouse" (#1 on the Billboard rap singles chart
), and "Ain't Gonna Hurt Nobody" (another #1 rap hit). The group's stage show highlighted their teen-friendly personalities, and dances such as their trademark, the Kick Step. Kid's visual trademark was his hi-top fade
haircut, which stood ten inches high at its peak. Martin regularly wore eight-ball jackets.
Kid 'n Play were also notable for their dance known as the Funky Charleston, first seen in their video "Gittin Funky". Also affectionately known as the Kid and Play Kickstep, it was influenced by the 1920s era dance the Charleston
. The Funky Charleston featured the New Jack Swing
-aerobic dance moves typical of late 1980s urban street dancing. Unlike the original Charleston, The Funky Charleston requires two participants instead of one. This dance also was made quite popular in Kid 'n Play's feature film House Party, in which Kid and Play have a dance competition with Tisha Campbell and A.J. Johnson
.
s, all of them based around hip hop characters and themes. The duo also appeared on the soundtrack albums to these films. Three of the Kid 'n Play films were entries in the House Party
series. The first two House Party films (1990's House Party and 1991's House Party 2
) also featured the then-relatively unknown Martin Lawrence
and Tisha Campbell, later stars of the TV sitcom Martin
. House Party 3
featured hip-hop/R&B girl group TLC
as the music group Sex as a Weapon.
Class Act
, produced in 1992, was a comedy in the same vein as the House Party films. For that film, Reid traded his trademark hi-top fade
in for braids instead. The haircut is used as a plot device in the film.
Kid 'n Play even had their own NBC
Saturday morning cartoon
, Kid 'n Play, for one season from 1990 to 1991. On the show, Kid 'n Play were regressed to teenagers, but their recording careers remained intact, as did their comic personas. The real Kid 'n Play appeared in live-action wraparounds of the cartoons, but voice actors (again including Martin Lawrence) performed in the animated portions of the show. The show stressed positive role models, teaching kids how to get along and stay out of trouble. A 1992 Marvel Comics
comic book based on the cartoon lasted nine issues. They also shot some segments for the PBS
math show Square One TV and Sesame Street
.
Kid 'n Play were featured in the Adult Swim
animated special Freaknik: The Musical
as themselves.
company that provides pre- and post-production for film, digital, and live theater productions. He also founded Brand Newz, an online syndicated magazine focusing on positive community leaders and events. Martin became a professor at North Carolina Central University
in Durham, North Carolina (where he now resides). Martin was also a judge for the 8th annual Independent Music Awards. The duo is currently on a tour of the House Party anniversary along with other rappers such as Salt n Pepa.
In 2009, State Farm
released a commercial featuring LeBron James
dancing to the music of Kid 'n Play.
In October 2009 the duo appeared on the BET Hip Hop Awards
where they did their trademark dance. On Feb 9, 2010 the duo appeared on The Mo'Nique Show
.
On June 23, 2010 the duo appeared on Lopez Tonight
and performed 'Rollin' with Kid 'N Play' from their album, 2 Hype
.
At 2010 Tribeca Film Festival Kid stated that "Play and I also have a television series in the works, so the future is bright."
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
hip-hop and comedy
Comedy
Comedy , as a popular meaning, is any humorous discourse or work generally intended to amuse by creating laughter, especially in television, film, and stand-up comedy. This must be carefully distinguished from its academic definition, namely the comic theatre, whose Western origins are found in...
duo from New York City that was popular in the late 1980s and early 1990s. The duo was composed of Christopher "Kid" Reid and Christopher "Play" Martin working alongside their DJ, Mark "DJ Wiz" Eastmond. Besides their successful musical careers, Kid 'n Play are also notable for branching out into acting.
Music career
The pair met while performing in rival high school groups The Turnout Brothers and The Super Lovers, and initially formed their duo under the name The Fresh Force Crew. In 1986 She's a Skeezer and Rock Me were recorded. By 1987 they had changed their name to Kid 'n Play.Kid 'n Play recorded three albums together between 1988 and 1991: 2 Hype
2 Hype
2 Hype is the debut album by rap duo, Kid 'n Play. The album was released in 1988 for Select Records and was produced by Hurby Luv Bug and The Invincibles. 2 Hype was a success for the duo, reaching #96 on the Billboard 200 and #9 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums and being certified Gold by the RIAA...
(1988), Kid 'n Play's Funhouse
Kid 'n Play's Funhouse
Funhouse is the second album by rap duo, Kid 'n Play, released on March 13 1990 through Select Records.Production was handled by Hurby Luv Bug and The Invincibles. The album was their most successful on the Billboard charts, peaking at 58 on the Billboard 200 as well as 11 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop...
(1990), and Face the Nation
Face the Nation (Kid 'n Play album)
Face the Nation is the third and final album by hip-hop duo Kid 'n Play. The album was released on September 24, 1991 for Select Records and was produced by Eric "Quicksilver" Johnson, Christopher "Play" Martin, Pete Rock and Hurby Luv Bug....
(1991). Hurby "Luv Bug" Azor, the producer for Salt-n-Pepa
Salt-N-Pepa
Salt-N-Pepa is an American hip hop trio from Queens and Brooklyn, New York, that was formed in 1985. The group, consisting of Cheryl "Salt" Renee James, Sandra "Pepa" Denton, and Deidra "DJ Spinderella" Roper, was one of the first all-female rap crews....
(who had been a member of the The Super Lovers with Play) served as Kid 'n Play's manager and producer during the early portion of their career. All three albums focused upon positive lyrics backed by pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
-friendly instrumental tracks. Among the group's most successful singles were 1989's "Rollin' with Kid 'n Play" (#11 on the Billboard R&B singles chart
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,...
), 1990s "Funhouse" (#1 on the Billboard rap singles chart
Hot Rap Tracks
Rap Songs is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States. It lists the 25 most popular hip-hop/rap songs, calculated weekly by airplay on rhythmic and urban radio stations and sales in hip hop-focused or exclusive markets. From 1989 through 2001, it was based on how much the single...
), and "Ain't Gonna Hurt Nobody" (another #1 rap hit). The group's stage show highlighted their teen-friendly personalities, and dances such as their trademark, the Kick Step. Kid's visual trademark was his hi-top fade
Hi-top fade
A hi-top fade is a style of haircut where hair on the sides is cut off or kept very short and hair on the top of the head is very long . The hi-top has been a trend symbolizing the Golden Era of hip hop and urban contemporary music during the late 1980s and the early 1990s...
haircut, which stood ten inches high at its peak. Martin regularly wore eight-ball jackets.
Kid 'n Play were also notable for their dance known as the Funky Charleston, first seen in their video "Gittin Funky". Also affectionately known as the Kid and Play Kickstep, it was influenced by the 1920s era dance the Charleston
Charleston (dance)
The Charleston is a dance named for the harbor city of Charleston, South Carolina. The rhythm was popularized in mainstream dance music in the United States by a 1923 tune called "The Charleston" by composer/pianist James P. Johnson which originated in the Broadway show Runnin' Wild and became one...
. The Funky Charleston featured the New Jack Swing
New jack swing
New jack swing or swingbeat is a fusion genre spearheaded by Teddy Riley and Bernard Belle which became extremely popular from the late-1980s into the mid-1990s. Its influence, along with hip-hop, seeped into pop culture and was the definitive sound of the inventive Black New York club scene...
-aerobic dance moves typical of late 1980s urban street dancing. Unlike the original Charleston, The Funky Charleston requires two participants instead of one. This dance also was made quite popular in Kid 'n Play's feature film House Party, in which Kid and Play have a dance competition with Tisha Campbell and A.J. Johnson
Adrienne-Joi Johnson
Adrienne-Joi Johnson , sometimes credited as A.J. Johnson, is an American actress, choreographer and fitness coach...
.
Acting careers
In addition to their music, Kid 'N Play starred together in four feature filmFeature film
In the film industry, a feature film is a film production made for initial distribution in theaters and being the main attraction of the screening, rather than a short film screened before it; a full length movie...
s, all of them based around hip hop characters and themes. The duo also appeared on the soundtrack albums to these films. Three of the Kid 'n Play films were entries in the House Party
House Party (film)
House Party is a 1990 American comedy film released by New Line Cinema. It stars Kid and Play of the popular hip hop duo Kid 'n Play, and also stars Paul Anthony, Bow-Legged Lou, and B-Fine from Full Force, and Robin Harris . The film also starred Martin Lawrence, Tisha Campbell, A.J...
series. The first two House Party films (1990's House Party and 1991's House Party 2
House Party 2
House Party 2, the sequel to the 1990 film House Party, was released in 1991 by New Line Cinema. The sequel returns most of the cast of the first movie along with new cast members such as Queen Latifah and Iman. The second installment includes more guest appearances from other famous entertainers...
) also featured the then-relatively unknown Martin Lawrence
Martin Lawrence
Martin Fitzgerald Lawrence is an American actor, film director, film producer, screenwriter, and stand up comedian. He came to fame during the 1990s, establishing a Hollywood career as a leading actor, most notably the films Bad Boys, Blue Streak, and Big Momma's House...
and Tisha Campbell, later stars of the TV sitcom Martin
Martin (TV series)
Martin is an American sitcom produced by HBO Independent Productions that aired for five seasons, from August 27, 1992 to May 1, 1997 on Fox...
. House Party 3
House Party 3
House Party 3 is a 1994 comedy film, starring Kid 'n Play and Bernie Mac. It is the third and intended final installment of the House Party film series, and the last film in the series to feature Kid 'n Play. This was to be the last film in the franchise, making it a trilogy but 7 years later, a...
featured hip-hop/R&B girl group TLC
TLC (band)
TLC is an American musical trio whose repertoire spanned R&B, hip-hop, soul, funk, and new jack swing. Originally consisting of singer Tionne "T-Boz" Watkins, rapper-singer Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes and singer Rozonda "Chilli" Thomas it found success in the 1990s while also enduring a series of spats...
as the music group Sex as a Weapon.
Class Act
Class Act
Class Act is a 1992 comedy film, directed by Randall Miller and starring hip-hop duo Kid 'n Play. An urban retelling of Mark Twain's The Prince and the Pauper, the screenplay is by Cynthia Friedlob and John Semper from a story by Michael Swerdlick, Richard Brenne and Wayne Allan Rice...
, produced in 1992, was a comedy in the same vein as the House Party films. For that film, Reid traded his trademark hi-top fade
Hi-top fade
A hi-top fade is a style of haircut where hair on the sides is cut off or kept very short and hair on the top of the head is very long . The hi-top has been a trend symbolizing the Golden Era of hip hop and urban contemporary music during the late 1980s and the early 1990s...
in for braids instead. The haircut is used as a plot device in the film.
Kid 'n Play even had their own NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
Saturday morning cartoon
Saturday morning cartoon
A Saturday morning cartoon is the colloquial term for the animated television programming that has typically been scheduled on Saturday mornings on the major American television networks from the 1960s to the present; the genre's peak in popularity mostly ended in the 1990s while the popularity of...
, Kid 'n Play, for one season from 1990 to 1991. On the show, Kid 'n Play were regressed to teenagers, but their recording careers remained intact, as did their comic personas. The real Kid 'n Play appeared in live-action wraparounds of the cartoons, but voice actors (again including Martin Lawrence) performed in the animated portions of the show. The show stressed positive role models, teaching kids how to get along and stay out of trouble. A 1992 Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
comic book based on the cartoon lasted nine issues. They also shot some segments for the PBS
Public Broadcasting Service
The Public Broadcasting Service is an American non-profit public broadcasting television network with 354 member TV stations in the United States which hold collective ownership. Its headquarters is in Arlington, Virginia....
math show Square One TV and Sesame Street
Sesame Street
Sesame Street has undergone significant changes in its history. According to writer Michael Davis, by the mid-1970s the show had become "an American institution". The cast and crew expanded during this time, including the hiring of women in the crew and additional minorities in the cast. The...
.
Kid 'n Play were featured in the Adult Swim
Adult Swim
Adult Swim is an adult-oriented Cable network that shares channel space with Cartoon Network from 9:00 pm until 6:00 am ET/PT in the United States, and broadcasts in countries such as Australia and New Zealand...
animated special Freaknik: The Musical
Freaknik: The Musical
Freaknik: The Musical is a musical special produced by T-Pain. It features the voice of T-Pain as the Ghost of Freaknik, as well as the voices of entertainers such as Lil Wayne, Young Cash, Snoop Dogg, Sophia Fresh, and Rick Ross, and comedians such as Andy Samberg and Charlie Murphy who provide...
as themselves.
After the duo
Reid continued acting, guest starring in a number of television sitcoms, including Full House, and hosting shows such as It's Showtime at the Apollo and Your Big Break. Martin became a born-again Christian, and devoted his time to working on Christian-based hip-hop music projects. He eventually took his industry experience and founded HP4Digital Works, a multimediaMultimedia
Multimedia is media and content that uses a combination of different content forms. The term can be used as a noun or as an adjective describing a medium as having multiple content forms. The term is used in contrast to media which use only rudimentary computer display such as text-only, or...
company that provides pre- and post-production for film, digital, and live theater productions. He also founded Brand Newz, an online syndicated magazine focusing on positive community leaders and events. Martin became a professor at North Carolina Central University
North Carolina Central University
North Carolina Central University is a public historically black university in the University of North Carolina system, located in Durham, North Carolina, offering programs at the baccalaureate, master’s, professional and doctoral levels....
in Durham, North Carolina (where he now resides). Martin was also a judge for the 8th annual Independent Music Awards. The duo is currently on a tour of the House Party anniversary along with other rappers such as Salt n Pepa.
In 2009, State Farm
State farm
State farm can refer to:*Sovkhoz, a type of state-owned farm in the Soviet Union*Volkseigenes Gut, a type of state-owned farm in East Germany*Państwowe Gospodarstwo Rolne, a type of state-owned farm in People's Republic of Poland...
released a commercial featuring LeBron James
LeBron James
LeBron Raymone James is an American professional basketball player for the Miami Heat of the National Basketball Association . Nicknamed "King James", he was a three-time "Mr. Basketball" of Ohio in high school, and was highly promoted in the national media as a future NBA superstar while a...
dancing to the music of Kid 'n Play.
In October 2009 the duo appeared on the BET Hip Hop Awards
BET Hip Hop Awards
The BET Hip Hop Awards are an annual awards show, airing on BET, showcasing hip hop performers, producers and music video directors. The awards ceremony began in 2006, was held on November 12, 2006 at the Fox Theatre in Atlanta, Georgia, was first aired November 15 and was hosted by comedian Katt...
where they did their trademark dance. On Feb 9, 2010 the duo appeared on The Mo'Nique Show
The Mo'Nique Show
The Mo'Nique Show is an American talk show hosted by comedienne actress Mo'Nique. Aired on BET, the series began October 5, 2009. She is the first African American woman to host her own late night show. The show's second and final season premiered on Monday, October 4, 2010.On July 18, 2011, BET...
.
On June 23, 2010 the duo appeared on Lopez Tonight
Lopez Tonight
Lopez Tonight was an American late-night television talk show hosted by comedian George Lopez. The hour-long program premiered on November 9, 2009, on cable network TBS. Lopez was the first Mexican American to host a late-night talk show on an English-language network in the United States. The...
and performed 'Rollin' with Kid 'N Play' from their album, 2 Hype
2 Hype
2 Hype is the debut album by rap duo, Kid 'n Play. The album was released in 1988 for Select Records and was produced by Hurby Luv Bug and The Invincibles. 2 Hype was a success for the duo, reaching #96 on the Billboard 200 and #9 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums and being certified Gold by the RIAA...
.
At 2010 Tribeca Film Festival Kid stated that "Play and I also have a television series in the works, so the future is bright."
Discography
| Year | Title | Chart positions | Certifications (sales thresholds Music recording sales certification Music recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,... ) |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
U.S. R&B Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums is a chart published by Billboard magazine that ranks R&B and hip hop albums based on sales compiled by Nielsen SoundScan. The name of the chart was changed from Top R&B Albums in 1999... |
|||
| 1988 | 2 Hype 2 Hype 2 Hype is the debut album by rap duo, Kid 'n Play. The album was released in 1988 for Select Records and was produced by Hurby Luv Bug and The Invincibles. 2 Hype was a success for the duo, reaching #96 on the Billboard 200 and #9 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums and being certified Gold by the RIAA...
|
96 | 9 |
Gold Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a... |
| 1990 | Funhouse
|
58 | 11 |
Gold Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a... |
| 1991 | Face the Nation Face the Nation (Kid 'n Play album) Face the Nation is the third and final album by hip-hop duo Kid 'n Play. The album was released on September 24, 1991 for Select Records and was produced by Eric "Quicksilver" Johnson, Christopher "Play" Martin, Pete Rock and Hurby Luv Bug.... Elektra Records Elektra Records is an American record label owned by Warner Music Group. In 2004, it was consolidated into WMG's Atlantic Records Group. After five years of dormancy, the label was revived by Atlantic in 2009.... |
144 | 27 | |
Filmography
- Kid 'n Play (1990–1991, animated cartoonAnimated cartoonAn animated cartoon is a short, hand-drawn film for the cinema, television or computer screen, featuring some kind of story or plot...
, NBCNBCThe National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
) - House PartyHouse Party (film)House Party is a 1990 American comedy film released by New Line Cinema. It stars Kid and Play of the popular hip hop duo Kid 'n Play, and also stars Paul Anthony, Bow-Legged Lou, and B-Fine from Full Force, and Robin Harris . The film also starred Martin Lawrence, Tisha Campbell, A.J...
(1990) - House Party 2House Party 2House Party 2, the sequel to the 1990 film House Party, was released in 1991 by New Line Cinema. The sequel returns most of the cast of the first movie along with new cast members such as Queen Latifah and Iman. The second installment includes more guest appearances from other famous entertainers...
(1991) - Class ActClass ActClass Act is a 1992 comedy film, directed by Randall Miller and starring hip-hop duo Kid 'n Play. An urban retelling of Mark Twain's The Prince and the Pauper, the screenplay is by Cynthia Friedlob and John Semper from a story by Michael Swerdlick, Richard Brenne and Wayne Allan Rice...
(1992) - House Party 3House Party 3House Party 3 is a 1994 comedy film, starring Kid 'n Play and Bernie Mac. It is the third and intended final installment of the House Party film series, and the last film in the series to feature Kid 'n Play. This was to be the last film in the franchise, making it a trilogy but 7 years later, a...
(1994) - Angry Andrew and The Nano Reef's 3 (2009)
- Peaches Styrczula, The Experience in 2D 2 (2008)
- Alfonza "Fitz": Williams: The Musical (2010)
- Alfonza "Fitz": Williams: The Experience - 3D (2011)