That Kid Chris

Born in Queens, New York, USA, Chris Straropoli earned recognition under the name That Kid Chris as the American counterpart to Joey Negro. His output proved equally abundant, with dozens of house singles steeped in disco energy appearing throughout the early 90s on labels such as Digital Dungeon Records for “Feel The Vibe,” Strictly Rhythm Records for “Power Of The Darkside,” and Floorwax Records for “Get Down With The Genie.” He launched his career inside Queens’ hip-hop-centered environment, initially working as a DJ focused on electro tracks. The sets Jellybean delivered at The Funhouse left the strongest early mark, prompting Straropoli to serve as a rap DJ at the Limelight before moving into hard house within the east-coast rave circuit. Even so, his productions continued to draw on 70s disco and soul samples taken from his father’s collection. The single “Big Time,” shaped by Al Pacino’s role in Carlito’s Way, marked his breakthrough and, together with later 12-inch releases, drew a receptive following in the UK that placed him next to Josh Wink as a fresh exponent of melodic American dance music during the mid-90s.