Kid 'n Play

Kid 'n Play were a wholesome hip-hop and comedy duo from New York City that were most popular in the late 1980s and early 1990s. The duo is comprised of Christopher "Kid" Reid (born April 5 1964 in The Bronx, New York City) and Christopher "Play" Martin (born July 10 1962 in Queens, New York City). Besides their successful musical careers, Kid 'n Play are also notable for branching out into acting.

History

Music career

Kid 'n Play recorded three albums together between 1988 and 1993: 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 hip-hop group "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), 1990's "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 high-top fade haircut, which stood six inches high at its peak. Play regularly wore eight-ball jackets.

Acting careers

In addition to their music, Kid 'N Play starred together in four successful motion pictures, 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 popular House Party series. The first two House Party films (1990's House Party and 1991's House Party 2 also featured the then-relatively unkwown 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, Kid cut his trademark high-top fade (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 teens, 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 (including a then relatively unknown Martin Lawrence) took over for the animated versions of the duo. 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.

After the duo

Kid and Play amicably split during the mid-1990s. Kid continued acting, guest starring in a number of television sitcoms, most notably Sister, Sister, and hosting shows such as It's Showtime at the Apollo and Your Big Break. Play became a born-again Christian, and devoted his time to working on Christian-based hip-hop music projects. Play eventually took his vast industry experience and founded HP4Digital Works, a multimedia company that provides pre and post production for film, digital and live theater productions."Hip Hop Icon Series: Play". Halftimeonline.com.

Hip-hop/R&B recording artists IMx, who appeared in House Party 3 as Immature, starred in a direct-to-video sequel, House Party 4: Down to the Last Minute, which was produced without Kid or Play.

Discography

1988: 2 Hype
1990: Kid 'N Play's Funhouse
1991: Face the Nation
1993: Play is D.E.A.D.

Filmography

External links

Kid (Christopher Reid) on MySpace.com: http://www.myspace.com/chriskidreid