Fresh Kid Ice

Fresh Kid Ice (aka Chris Wong Won) was a founding member of <a href="spotify:artist:58Dx4HPzeOO3dbpD9YYEes">2 Live Crew</a>. While the famously explicit crew would go on to make history in Florida, it actually began in California, when Ice, DJ <a href="spotify:artist:59l2JMs8buCbB2Y4IcjaZq">Mr. Mixx</a>, and Amazing V released the "Revelation" single in 1985. The single became quite popular in Miami, so Ice and <a href="spotify:artist:59l2JMs8buCbB2Y4IcjaZq">Mixx</a> moved across the country to capitalize on it (leaving Amazing V behind in the process). The duo quickly issued the "What I Like" single, on which Ice took Amazing V's place as lead rapper. They also secured a record deal with Miami kingpin Luke Skyywalker (later known simply as <a href="spotify:artist:1SLtdFap7Mjk5jYavPFPQB">Luke</a>, or Luther Campbell), who would eventually join <a href="spotify:artist:58Dx4HPzeOO3dbpD9YYEes">2 Live Crew</a> as its infamous mouthpiece. Brother Marquis, a pal from California, also joined the <a href="spotify:artist:58Dx4HPzeOO3dbpD9YYEes">2 Live</a> fold. As a fellow MC in the group, Ice was an integral part of the absurd series of events in Florida after 1989's As Nasty as They Wanna Be was released to the horror of the American Family Association. The notoriety gained from the controversy garnered Ice and <a href="spotify:artist:58Dx4HPzeOO3dbpD9YYEes">2 Live Crew</a> a distribution deal with <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Atlantic%22">Atlantic</a>, which released the hit single and album Banned in the USA in 1990. But despite the group's popularity, a 1991 live album and the tepid Nasty follow-up, Sports Weekend, failed to sell. Ice, <a href="spotify:artist:1SLtdFap7Mjk5jYavPFPQB">Luke</a>, and the rest of <a href="spotify:artist:58Dx4HPzeOO3dbpD9YYEes">2 Live Crew</a> parted ways.

In 1992, Ice released a solo album, entitled The Chinaman, a name the Trinidad-born rapper sometimes went by. He also re-teamed with <a href="spotify:artist:58Dx4HPzeOO3dbpD9YYEes">the Crew</a>'s <a href="spotify:artist:59l2JMs8buCbB2Y4IcjaZq">Mr. Mixx</a> as the Rock on Crew to record Deal with This. The year 1994 found Ice regrouping with <a href="spotify:artist:1SLtdFap7Mjk5jYavPFPQB">Luke</a> for the set Back at Your Ass for the Nin-4, recorded as <a href="spotify:artist:58Dx4HPzeOO3dbpD9YYEes">the New 2 Live Crew</a> with Miami rapper <a href="spotify:artist:7GLwqa5CrmiMbyyBa4YX4q">Verb</a>. The new album was made up in part with songs that had originally appeared on Deal with This. The New 2 Live Crew didn't last long; it broke down when Campbell left again for a solo career. In 1996, Ice and <a href="spotify:artist:59l2JMs8buCbB2Y4IcjaZq">Mr. Mixx</a> re-formed <a href="spotify:artist:58Dx4HPzeOO3dbpD9YYEes">2 Live Crew</a> without Campbell and released the album Shake a Lil' Somethin'. It was followed in 1998 by The Real One, again without Campbell. In 2000, Ice issued Still Nasty on his own <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Chinaman+Records%22">Chinaman Records</a> imprint, and Freaky Chinese followed in 2004. Fresh Kid Ice died in July 2017 in Miami at the age of 53. ~ Johnny Loftus, Rovi