Kid Frost

Real Name: Arturo Molina, Jr.
D.O.B.: May 31, 1964 East Los Angeles, California

Kid Frost was one of the earliest performers to represent the new culture of west coast rap. He worked up the ranks of the industry alongside Ice-T on the club circuits from lock-dancing to rapping in local LA clubs, Radio, Eve’s and proved to be a house party favourite. He is recognized as being the first Chicano (Mexican-American) rapper. Today Frost remains one of LA’s finest lyricists and a top mogul in the hip-hop industry.

Kid Frost hails from East Los Angeles, but spent a lot of his childhood growing up on military bases from Guam to Germany due to his father’s posts in the US armed forces. He took a strong interest in the elements of hip-hop and when he returned to LA he began dancing with Roger Clayton’s Uncle Jamm’s Army. From this he graduated to performing as an MC often battling against Ice-T as they worked together in local hair salons and recording mixtapes to introduce them to the market. Frost landed gigs at Los Angeles club Radio with Ice-T. He picked up strong notoriety from his well-delivered raps and as a teenager he recorded his first twelve-inch electro-rap record which was distributed by Electrobeat Records and Baja Records. By ’84 he had released ‘Commando Rock’ and ‘Rough Cut’.

By the late ‘80s Kid Frost signed to Virgin Records and released his most successful and professional recording where Frost displayed a strong bond to his Brown-Pride Chicano roots representing his East LA hometown, a predominantly 18th Street gang neighbourhood in the anthem, ‘La Raza’ which became the first mainstream single from a Mexican-American rapper. At this time he established a Latino rap group called Latin Alliance. Kid Frost dropped his debut album in 1990 ‘Hispanic Causing Panic’ with ALT appearing on the record as a guest rapper. Two years later he released his follow-up album ‘East Side Story’ starring Compton’s MC Eiht and Boo-Yaa TRIBE’s Ganxta Ridd. By 1995 Frost who had recently dropped the Kid from his moniker had signed with Eazy E’s Ruthless Records, distributed by Relativity Records. Here he put out his third and fourth albums. ‘Smile Now Die Later’ where Ruthless’ own Above the Law featured with Kokane, O Genius and ALT. Frost rejuvenated Rick James’ hit ‘Mary Jane’. The fourth release, second under Ruthless was ‘When Hell Freezes Over’ in 1997 which saw a reunion with Ice-T on the record. His records were now recognized as carrying a distinctive Latino-influenced production with Electro-funk backing, a sort of L-Funk twist to Dre’s groundbreaking G-Funk.

By ’99 Frost moved to small independent label, Celeb-Entertainment releasing his first album for them, ‘This Was Then, This Is Now Volume 1’ in 1999 featuring Kurupt, King Tee, Xzibit and a host of other west coast rap and R&B artists. A year later he released volume 2 continuing to host west coast’s rising talents. In 2002 Frost moved labels again to Kock Records where upon he released two more albums. The last album, ‘Welcome To Frost Angeles’ out in ’05 was almost entirely produced by himself and his son Scoop DeVille.

Frost today remains a strong west coast artist in today’s rap industry, a father-figure for aspiring Latino artists. A pioneer in the west coast movement, Frost celebrates his proud brown-pride heritage throughout his work, providing his community with anthems utilizing traditional Mexican influences with modern hip-hop contemporary trend.

Discography:

Early 12"s

• 1984 Commando Rock (C-Jam and Kid Frost)
• 1984 Rough Cut (Electrobeat # 001)
• 1985 Terminator (Electrobeat # 005)

• LPs as Kid Frost

• 1990 Hispanic Causing Panic
• 1992 East Side Story

• As Frost

• 1995 Smile Now, Die Later
• 1997 When Hell.A.Freezes Over
• 1999 That Was Then, This Is Now Vol.I
• 2000 That Was Then, This Is Now Vol.II
• 2002 Still Up In This Shit!
• 2005 Welcome to Frost Angeles
• 2006 Till The Wheels Fall Off
• 2007 Bluntz N Ballerz