Kid 'N' Play

Among the first groups to tame rap's hardcore mentality into a positive, message-oriented music suitable for teens and mass audiences, Kid 'n Play debuted in 1988 with the platinum album 2 Hype, which the duo later spun into a deal involving films and a Saturday-morning cartoon show, the first involving a rap act.

Though their recording activity became limited during the gangsta-dominated '90s -- 1991's Face the Nation was their last album -- the group managed two sequels to their original House Party film, as well as the 1991 teen flick Class Act.\r Kid (born Christopher Reid; Bronx, NY) and Play (born Christopher Martin; Queens, NY) first met while performing in rival high school groups (the Turnout Brothers and the Super Lovers, respectively) and initially teamed up as Fresh Force.

Play's former bandmate, Hurby \