Biography
Fresh Kid Ice, also known as Chris Wong Won, helped launch 2 Live Crew as one of its original members. The group first took shape in California, where Ice joined forces with DJ Mr. Mixx and Amazing V to issue the single “Revelation” in 1985. Its strong reception in Miami led Ice and Mixx to relocate there, leaving Amazing V behind. On the follow-up single “What I Like,” Ice stepped into the lead-rapping role. They soon signed with Miami-based figure Luke Skyywalker, later known simply as Luke or Luther Campbell, who became the act’s outspoken public face; California acquaintance Brother Marquis also came aboard as an MC.
Ice remained central to the legal and cultural clashes that erupted in Florida once the 1989 album As Nasty as They Wanna Be drew condemnation from the American Family Association. The resulting publicity produced an Atlantic distribution arrangement and the 1990 release Banned in the USA, which yielded both a hit single and album. Commercial momentum faded quickly, however: a 1991 live set and the weaker Sports Weekend sold poorly, prompting Ice, Luke, and the remaining members to go their separate ways.
Ice returned in 1992 with the solo album The Chinaman, a reference to the nickname he occasionally used as the Trinidad-born rapper. He also paired once more with Mr. Mixx as the Rock on Crew for Deal with This. In 1994 Ice and Luke reunited, adding Miami rapper Verb to record Back at Your Ass for the Nin-4 under the New 2 Live Crew banner; several tracks originated on Deal with This. The lineup dissolved when Campbell again pursued solo work. Ice and Mixx revived 2 Live Crew without Campbell in 1996, releasing Shake a Lil’ Somethin’, then issued The Real One in 1998. Ice put out Still Nasty in 2000 on his own Chinaman Records imprint, followed by Freaky Chinese in 2004. He died in Miami in July 2017 at age 53.
Ice remained central to the legal and cultural clashes that erupted in Florida once the 1989 album As Nasty as They Wanna Be drew condemnation from the American Family Association. The resulting publicity produced an Atlantic distribution arrangement and the 1990 release Banned in the USA, which yielded both a hit single and album. Commercial momentum faded quickly, however: a 1991 live set and the weaker Sports Weekend sold poorly, prompting Ice, Luke, and the remaining members to go their separate ways.
Ice returned in 1992 with the solo album The Chinaman, a reference to the nickname he occasionally used as the Trinidad-born rapper. He also paired once more with Mr. Mixx as the Rock on Crew for Deal with This. In 1994 Ice and Luke reunited, adding Miami rapper Verb to record Back at Your Ass for the Nin-4 under the New 2 Live Crew banner; several tracks originated on Deal with This. The lineup dissolved when Campbell again pursued solo work. Ice and Mixx revived 2 Live Crew without Campbell in 1996, releasing Shake a Lil’ Somethin’, then issued The Real One in 1998. Ice put out Still Nasty in 2000 on his own Chinaman Records imprint, followed by Freaky Chinese in 2004. He died in Miami in July 2017 at age 53.