On October 26, 1988, Kid 'n Play, consisting of Christopher Reid and Christopher Martin, introduced the iconic "Kid 'n Play Kick Step" dance to the world. The dance, often simply referred to as "The Kid 'n Play," has remained popular for the past 35 years since its debut in their first album, 2 Hype.
The project was produced by Hurby "Luv Bug" Azor, who had previously been a member of a group with Play and had achieved mega success as the early producer for Salt-N-Pepa. Together, their crew was known as the Idol Makers and also included Sweet Tee, Dana Dane, Kwamé, and Antoinette.
2 Hype kick-started Kid 'n Play's pop-rap success, reaching number 96 on the Billboard 200 chart and producing hits that climbed the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and Hot Rap Songs charts, including "Rollin' with Kid 'n Play" (No. 11 and No. 2, respectively), "2 Hype" (No. 46 and No. 19, respectively), and "Gittin' Funky" (No. 53 and No. 24, respectively).
In the video for "Rollin' with Kid 'n Play" and "Do This My Way," you can witness the dance. In that video Play also does the thing where he jumps over his leg, the move which was made famous in the 1990 movie House Party — remember the scene where he's vacuuming in the living room before the party starts? Ironically, "Do This My Way" also features Kid and Play hosting a house party two years before they landed the film gig, which was originally intended for DJ Jazzy Jeff and The Fresh Prince.
Play commented on their enduring legacy in an interview with Time. "Kid and I feel incredibly blessed and fortunate to be a part of something that so many people can relate to and desire to see return," he said. "Over the past few days, I've never been on social media as much as I have, seeing people reminiscing and discussing those movies. I'm immensely proud to be a part of something like this. I never imagined we would be a part of it, along with many other aspects of our careers."
2 Hype remains a huge marker in Kid 'n Play's career, producing some of their best tracks and showcasing the chemistry that'd launch their stardom.
