Christopher Martin (entertainer)

Christopher Martin

Christopher "Play" Martin (right) at the 2010 Tribeca Film Festival.
Background information
Birth name Christopher Martin
Also known as Play
Born (1962-07-10) July 10, 1962
Origin Queens, New York, U.S.
Genres Hip-Hop
Occupation(s) Rapper
Years active 1986–present
Labels Select Records
Elektra Records
Associated acts Kid 'n Play, House Party, Salt-N-Pepa, Pete Rock, Hurby "Luv Bug" Azor

Christopher "Play" Martin (born July 10, 1962) is an American rapper and actor, formerly the latter half of the late 1980s/early 1990s hip-hop/comedy duo Kid 'n Play.

Career

The name, "Play", comes from his original MC name, "Playboy", which originated with a group called "Quicksilver and the Super Lovers",[1] which featured producer Hurby Luv Bug. It was with this group that he met Christopher "Kid" Reid, who was using the name "Kid Coolout" with a group called The Turnout Brothers. In time, all of the members of their respective groups moved on, and decided that they could work together as a duo. By shortening their nicknames, it would lead to the start of the group Kid 'n Play.

With Kid, Play recorded three successful albums and starred in four hip-hop based comedy films: House Party, House Party 2, Class Act, and House Party 3. After the duo split in 1995, Play became a born-again Christian and focused on Christian hip hop. Today, Play is the founder and CEO of HP4 Digital, a pre- and post-production multimedia company for film, digital media, and theater. In 2010, Play starred as an undercover DEA agent in the independent film, The Return, which is currently in post-production and whose trailer can be seen on youtube.com.[2][3] Play was also a judge for the 8th annual Independent Music Awards to support independent artists.[4][5]

Personal life

Martin is a graduate of the High School of Art and Design, in New York City, although in an interview with the Breakfest Club he stated that he earned a GED. Martin has a son, Skyler Martin. Martin also has a child born in the 80s, Vannessa Martin, with ex-girlfriend Janae Yvonne Jackson and another son, Christopher Martin, Jr.

Martin now resides in Durham, North Carolina, and was a hip hop teacher at North Carolina Central University until budget cuts forced the school to let him go in 2009. Upon learning of the firing, students began a petition for Martin to be given back the position. Martin also serves as a professional-in-residence with the Institute for Hip Hop and Music Industry Studies that Clemons directs at Florida A & M University, and he devotes time to the non-profit group Campaign for Change.

Discography

With Kid 'n Play

Albums

Acting career

Television

Film

References

Notes

  1. ↑ "Play: Hip-Hop Icon (interview)" Retrieved from Halftimeonline.net
  2. ↑ "The Return-Official Trailer (2010)"
  3. ↑ "LPT Productions, LLC website"
  4. ↑ PRLog
  5. ↑ Independent Music Awards - 8th Annual IMA Judges Archived April 12, 2009, at the Wayback Machine.

External links

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