Frost (rapper)

Last updated

Frost
Kid-Frost.jpg
Kid Frost in 2008
Background information
Also known as
  • Kid Frost
  • OG Kid Frost
  • Uncle Frost
Born (1962-05-31) May 31, 1962 (age 61)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Genres
Occupation(s)
  • Rapper
  • songwriter
  • record producer
Years active1982–present
Labels
Website theraza.com

Arturo R. Molina Jr. (born May 31, 1962), [1] better known as Frost (originally Kid Frost), is an American rapper, songwriter and record producer from Los Angeles. He charted in the 1980s with his first four albums: Hispanic Causing Panic , East Side Story , Smile Now, Die Later and When Hell.A. Freezes Over . His most successful single is "La Raza" [2] which hit number 6 on the rap songs chart in August 1990. His 1990 debut album is credited as the first Chicano rap album.

Contents

Frost's music entered the Billboard 200 again in 2002 with the album Still Up in This Shit! . He is the father of record producer Scoop DeVille.

Early life

Molina was born and raised in Los Angeles, California, and occasionally lived with his family in military bases in Guam and Germany. [3] He is of Mexican descent. He began his music career in 1982 as Kid Frost as a tribute to his rival Ice-T, whom he often battled in the music industry. In an interview Frost stated that his first actual DJ was in fact Dr. Dre and DJ Yella. He soon became a breakdancer for Uncle Jamms Army. [4]

Career

In the mid-1980s, Frost released several pre-gangsta 12" singles on Los Angeles-based labels Electrobeat and Baja. [3] In the late 1980s, Kid Frost moved to Virgin Records. [3] His biggest hit, "La Raza", from his debut album Hispanic Causing Panic (1990), combined East L.A. and Tex-Mex elements and became an "East L.A. anthem. [5] Hispanic Causing Panic is credited as the first Chicano rap album, [6] and brought attention to Chicano rappers on the West Coast. [7]

Frost also established a Latin rap supergroup called Latin Alliance, [3] which released their only album, Latin Alliance , in 1991. His second album, East Side Story was released in 1992, [3] and had appearances by MC Eiht, A.L.T. and Ganxta Ridd from the Boo-Yaa T.R.I.B.E. [ citation needed ]

In 1995, Frost dropped the "Kid" from his nickname and signed with Ruthless Records, Eazy-E's label (distributed by Relativity). [3] Smile Now, Die Later was released that year. [3] Above The Law were featured as guest rappers, alongside A.L.T., O.G.Enius and Kokane. Rick James also appeared on Frost's version of "Mary Jane". His second album for Ruthless, When Hell.A.Freezes Over , was released in 1997. Ice-T, Scoop, O.G.Enius and Domino also appeared as guest rappers. In 1998, Frost collaborated with South Park Mexican in "El Jugador" music video along with Low-G released by Dope House Records in the Power Moves: The Table album. Frost was also featured in the songs: Cali-Tex Connect, and West Coast, Gulf Coast, East Coast also from the Power Moves: The Table album [8]

In 1999, Frost moved to a small independent label called Celeb Entertainment Inc. His first album for Celeb Entertainment titled This Was Then This Is Now Vol. I was released in 1999. Kurupt, King T, Baby Bash, Jay Tee, Jayo Felony, Xzibit, B-Legit and Cameo were featured on the CD. That Was Then This Is Now Vol. II was released in 2000. Frank V., Clika One, Jay Tee, Baby Bash and other guest rappers were also featured on the CD.

2002's Still Up In This Shit! , released by Hit-A-Lick and Koch Records, featured more Latin rap style and g-funk tracks as well as a hidden bonus rock track titled "Cannabis". Mellow Man Ace, Daz Dillinger, Baby Bash, A.L.T., Nino Brown, Don Cisco and other guest rappers appeared, and one track featured the group Tierra.

In 2004 Welcome to Frost Angeles was released on Thump Records, which was produced almost entirely by Frost and his son Scoop DeVille. Only the Intro is produced by Binky Womack, and Philly Blunt co-produced one track. Guest rappers included Cameosis, Genovese and Jay Tee. Frost again signed to Low Profile Records and released his album Till The Wheels Fall Off in 2006. It had various guest appearances which included Baby Bash, Scoop DeVille and Mr. Sancho.

Frost also performed music for films including "Bite the Bullet (Theme from Gunmen)" in the 1993 film Gunmen and "Tears Of A Mother" in the film No Mothers Crying, No Babies Dying, which featured Ice-T.

Frost is also an accomplished actor appearing in several films, as well as doing voice roles for fictional characters such as T-Bone Mendez from Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas and contributing his song "La Raza". [9]

He was named vice president of the Music Division of Goldmark Industries on August 30, 2006. Frost also appeared in a cameo role in Snoop Dogg's "Vato" music video, as well as B-Real that same year. In 2009 Frost collaborated with Serio on the song In L.A. from the album N.T.I.R. Part 2 The Revenge of Serio he was also featured on the Frost and Serio Skit on the album. [10]

In 2016, Frost announced he has been diagnosed with cancer. [11]

Discography

Studio albums

Collaboration albums

Related Research Articles

Latin hip hop is hip hop music that is recorded by artists in the United States of Hispanic and Latino descent, along with Spanish-speaking countries in the Caribbean, North America, Central America, South America, and Spain.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chicano rock</span> Rock music performed by Chicano groups

Chicano rock, also called chicano fusion, is rock music performed by Mexican American (Chicano) groups or music with themes derived from Chicano culture. Chicano Rock, to a great extent, does not refer to any single style or approach. Some of these groups do not sing in Spanish at all, or use many specific Latin instruments or sounds. The subgenre is defined by the ethnicity of its performers, and as a result covers a wide range of approaches.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ozomatli</span> American band

Ozomatli is an American rock band, formed in 1995 in Los Angeles. They are known both for their vocal activist viewpoints and incorporating a wide array of musical styles – including salsa, jazz, funk, reggae, hip hop, and others. The group formed in 1995 and has since released seven studio albums. The group is also known for advocating for farm-workers' rights and immigration reform. The band has performed in various countries all over the world, including China, Tunisia, Jordan, Cuba, and Burma. Although the band has had many member changes over the years and has sometimes had as many as ten members, the current six members have been in the band since its debut album.

Roger McBride, better known by his stage name King T, is an American West Coast Hip hop rapper from Compton, California. Emerging as one of Compton's earliest hip hop artists, he was signed to Capitol Records, where he released his debut album Act a Fool in 1988 with the hit singles "Act a Fool," "Payback's A Mutha," "The Coolest," and "Bass” [Remix], all of which were considered hip-hop classics. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, he worked primarily with producer DJ Pooh, and was responsible for the rise of Tha Alkaholiks, whom he helped guide into the rap game. King T is also the CEO of his own record label, King T Inc.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chicano rap</span> Music genre

Chicano rap is a subgenre of hip hop that embodies aspects of the Mexican American or Chicano culture.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lil Rob</span> American rapper, producer, and actor

Roberto L. Flores, also known as Ese 1218, and better known by his stage name Lil Rob, is an American rapper, producer, and actor.

Slow Pain was an American West Coast hip hop recording artist. He was a former member of chicano rap groups Street Mentality and G'Fellas. In 1994, he released his debut solo studio album called The Baby O.G. through Thump Records with the hit single "Money Maid". Slow Pain died on September 3, 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">La Raza (song)</span> 1990 single by Kid Frost

"La Raza" is a song by American rapper Kid Frost. It was released in 1990 as the lead single from his debut studio album Hispanic Causing Panic. "La Raza" is Spanish for "the race" or more symbolically "the people" as metonymy; it samples El Chicano's "Viva Tirado" from 1970.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brown-eyed soul</span> Soul music genre

Brown-eyed soul, also referred to as Chicano soul, Hispanic soul, or Latino soul, is soul music & rhythm & blues (R&B) performed in the United States mainly by Hispanic Latinos and Chicanos in Southern California, East Los Angeles, and San Antonio (Texas) during the 1960s, continuing through to the early 1980s. The trend of Latinos started with Latino rock and roll and rock musicians. "Brown-eyed soul" contrasts with blue-eyed soul, soul music performed by non-Hispanic white artists.

Marco Cardenas, better known by his stage name MC Magic, is a Mexican-born American rapper, singer and songwriter known for singing and rapping, both in English and Spanish. He is also the founder of NastyBoy Records which he launched in 1990, and the hip hop group NB Ridaz.

<i>Tha Smokin Nephew</i> 2003 studio album by Baby Bash

Tha Smokin' Nephew is the third solo studio album by American rapper Baby Bash. It was released on September 23, 2003, through Universal Records, making it his first commercial album as well as his first album released under the stage name 'Baby Bash'.

<i>Hispanic Causing Panic</i> 1990 studio album by Kid Frost

Hispanic Causing Panic is the debut studio album by American rapper Kid Frost. It was released in 1990 via Virgin Records and is considered one of the first Latin rap albums, setting the stage for later releases by groups like Cypress Hill. Recording sessions took place at Wildcat Studios and Wide Tracks in Los Angeles, with producers Tony G, Will Roc, The Baka Boyz, Julio G and Kid Frost himself.

<i>Somethin 4 the Riderz</i> 2003 compilation album by Frost

Somethin' 4 the Riderz is a compilation album by American rapper, Frost. The album was released in 2003 for 40 Ounce Records. It contained Frost's unreleased and hard to find songs. The album featured many guests including Ice-T, Above the Law, King Tee and DJ Quik.

<i>Latin Alliance</i> (album) 1991 studio album by Latin Alliance

Latin Alliance is the self-titled studio album by a one-off collaboration of Chicano rappers. The group was formed in 1989 and released their one and only album in 1991 via Virgin Records. It features performances by Kid Frost, A.L.T., Markski, Rayski Rockswell, Mellow Man Ace, Lyrical Engineer, Hip Hop Astronaut and The Lyrical Latin, with guest appearances by WAR and Scoop DeVille. Recording sessions took place at Digital Sound & Picture in New York City, Skyline Recording in Topanga, Wide Tracks, Image Recorders and Echo Sound in Los Angeles. Production was handled by Kid Frost, Tony G, Will Roc, Todd Alexander, Ralph Rivers, The Baka Boyz, Julio G, Geoff Rios and Mike Greene.

<i>Oh Boy</i> (Don Cisco album) 2000 studio album by Don Cisco

Oh Boy is the second studio album by American rapper Don Cisco, released August 29, 2000 on Thump Street. It was produced by Bigg Robb, Fingazz, Fredwreck, Mall, Philly Blunt and Tone Capone. The album features guest performances by fellow Latino Velvet members: Jay Tee, Baby Beesh and Frost, as well as Mac Dre, Kurupt, Soopafly, Roscoe, Roger Troutman, B-Legit and PSD.

<i>Velvetism</i> 2002 studio album by Latino Velvet

Velvetism is the third studio album by American rap group Latino Velvet. It was released June 18, 2002 on Jay Tee's own label, 40 Ounce Records. The album was produced by Big Ice, Happy Perez, Johnny Z, Oral Bee and Philly Blunt. Latino Velvet was composed of Jay Tee & Baby Beesh. Frost and Don Cisco both make multiple guest appearances on this album, as well as several other artists.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scoop DeVille</span> American record producer

Elijah Blue Molina, better known by his stage name Scoop DeVille, is an American record producer, rapper and DJ. DeVille has produced singles and albums for hip hop artists including Kendrick Lamar, Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Nipsey Hussle, 50 Cent, Busta Rhymes and Fat Joe. He produced Kendrick Lamar's 2013 single "Poetic Justice" and Snoop Dogg's 2009 single "I Wanna Rock", both of which peaked within the top 50 of the US Billboard Hot 100.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Real Richie Rich</span> American rapper

Richard "Richie Rich" Anthony, known professionally as The Real Richie Rich, is an American actor, hip hop and R&B record producer, rapper and entrepreneur. He is the founder and current CEO of Richworld Entertainment. Richie is mostly known for his works with one of the pioneers of the West Coast scene rap group LA Dream Team. Richie has originated later in Los Angeles, California and has worked on a substantial roster of projects producing recording artists such as Joe Serious, Teena Marie, Kid Frost, O.G. Cell-E-Cell, Mellow Man Ace, UTFO, and many more. As a studio owner, he has also produced popular groups like South Central Cartel, Domino, Whodini, Mokensteff, Y?V, Funkdoobiest, WC and the Maad Circle, Club Nouveau, Daddy Freddy, Lucky Luciano and Ray from the Dutch eurodance group 2 Unlimited.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Baby Bash</span> American rapper

Ronald Ray Bryant, better known by his stage name Baby Bash, is an American rapper from Vallejo, California. His first two albums, Savage Dreams (2001) and On Tha Cool (2002) were released independently through Dope House Records. After changing the last part of his stage name to "Bash," he released the 2003 single "Suga Suga", which peaked at number seven on the Billboard Hot 100 and led to his signing of a recording contract from Universal Records. "Suga Suga" served as the lead single for his third album and major label debut, Tha Smokin' Nephew (2003).

References

  1. "Kid Frost". MTV . Retrieved February 5, 2024.
  2. "Kid Frost". Rolling Stone . May 2, 2023. Retrieved February 5, 2024.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Colin Larkin, ed. (1998). The Virgin Encyclopedia of Dance Music (First ed.). Virgin Books. p. 125. ISBN   0-7535-0252-6.
  4. Huey, Steve. "Frost > Biography". AllMusic . Retrieved August 25, 2018.
  5. Gold, Jonathan (August 20, 1990). "Weekend Reviews Kid Frost: Political Rap for Chicano Solidarity Pop music: His hit 'La Raza' is the first popular East L.A. anthem in years". Los Angeles Times. ProQuest   281058443.
  6. McFarland, Pancho (2006). "Chicano Rap Roots: Black-Brown Cultural Exchange and the Making of a Genre". Callaloo. 29 (3): 939–955. doi:10.1353/cal.2006.0150. ISSN   0161-2492. JSTOR   4488380. S2CID   161769104.
  7. "Bad Subjects Magazine – "Hyper-Masculine and Misogynist Violence in Chicano Rap"". Archived from the original on September 27, 2011. Retrieved June 29, 2007.
  8. SPM – Power Moves The Table, 1998, retrieved February 21, 2022
  9. "GTA-SA" (PDF). Rockstar.
  10. "Serio". discogs . Retrieved March 3, 2024.
  11. Allah, Sha Be (March 2, 2016). "Kid Frost Announces He Has Been Diagnosed With Cancer | The Source". The Source . Retrieved August 25, 2018.