Frost — originally known as Kid Frost — was a pioneer in the field of Latin hip-hop, cutting some of its very first records and helping to bring exposure to other bilingual MCs. Frost was born Arturo Molina Jr. on May 31, 1964; while he spent some time with his family on military bases in Guam and Germany, he was raised primarily in East L.A. He started rapping in 1982, and became an accomplished breakdancer as well, joining the top-notch Uncle Jamm’s Army crew. He adopted the name Kid Frost in tribute to Ice-T, whom he often battled at parties and clubs as the West Coast hip-hop scene was first taking shape. During this era, he released several 12″ singles, including “Rough Cut” (with N.W.A’s DJ Yella) and “Terminator.” He subsequently left rap for a time, but returned in the late ’80s, when he hooked up with producer/DJ Tony G (born Gonzales). Their collaboration on the 1990 single “La Raza” broke Kid Frost to a wide audience, and became a much-loved anthem for Chicano hip-hop fans. Paced by his smooth, laid-back flow, his good-time debut album, Hispanic Causing Panic, was released on Virgin that year, and was one of the first full-lengths in Latin hip-hop history, along with Mellow Man Ace’s Escape From Havana the preceding year.
