What is Christopher "Play" Martin's net worth?
Christopher "Play" Martin is an American rapper and actor who has a net worth of $700 thousand.
Christopher Martin best known as the latter half of the hip hop/comedy duo Kid 'n Play. Alongside the other half of the duo, Christopher Reid, he released three studio albums and starred in five feature films, most notably the first three "House Party" films. After Kid 'n Play split in 1995, Martin became a born-again Christian and founded the multimedia company HP4Digital Works.
Early Life
Christopher Martin was born on July 10, 1962 in the Queens borough of New York City, New York.
Matthew Eisman/Getty Images
Kid 'n Play
In high school, Martin performed with the group Quicksilver and the Super Lovers, using the MC name Playboy. While performing, he met fellow rapper Christopher Reid, who performed as Kid Coolout in the rival group the Turnout Brothers. When their respective groups disbanded, the pair decided to become a hip hop duo. Originally called the Fresh Force Crew, the duo was renamed Kid 'n Play in 1987. The next year, Kid 'n Play released their debut studio album, "2 Hype," which peaked at number 96 on the Billboard 200 and number nine on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. It was eventually certified Gold by the RIAA. Kid 'n Play had another Gold album with their sophomore album, "Funhouse," which came out in 1990. Featuring a guest appearance from Salt-N-Pepa, it reached number 58 on the Billboard 200. In 1991, Kid 'n Play released their third and final studio album, "Face the Nation."
As actors, Kid 'n Play starred in five feature films together, all based on hip hop-inspired characters and themes. The duo also appeared on the films' soundtrack albums. Their most famous films are the "House Party" films, the first of which was released in 1990. Kid 'n Play went on to star in the sequels "House Party 2" (1991) and "House Party 3" (1994). They later had cameo appearances in the 2013 direct-to-video sequel "House Party: Tonight's the Night" and the 2023 reboot "House Party." Kid 'n Play's other feature films are "Class Act" (1992) and "Rising to the Top" (1999). The duo also had an eponymous Saturday morning cartoon on NBC in the early 1990s, in which they appeared in live-action wraparounds. Elsewhere, they have appeared in some segments for PBS children's shows, including "Sesame Street" and "Square One Television," and showed up in commercials for RadioShack and Progressive.
Christopher "Kid" Reid and Christopher "Play" Martin in 1988 (Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)
Style and Presentation
In Kid 'n Play, Martin was known for his eight-ball jackets, while his partner Reid was known for his hi-top fade haircut that stood ten inches tall. The duo's trademark dance was the Kid 'n Play Kickstep, first seen in their video "Do This My Way." Influenced by the 1920s-era dance the Charleston, the Kid 'n Play Kickstep was characterized by the kinds of aerobic dance moves popular in urban street dancing in the late 1980s. The dance gained popularity through Kid 'n Play's first feature film, "House Party," in which they have a dance competition with the characters played by Tisha Campbell and Adrienne-Joi Johnson.
After Kid 'n Play
After Kid 'n Play broke up in 1995, Martin became a born-again Christian and worked on various Christian-based hip hop projects. He went on to found the multimedia company HP4Digital Works, which provides pre- and post-production for films, digital productions, and live theater. Additionally, Martin founded the online news magazine Brand Newz. In other activities, he served as an artist in residence at North Carolina Central University in Durham, where he taught a course on hip hop. In 2010, Martin starred as an undercover DEA agent in the independent film "The Return."
Personal Life
In 1993, Martin married actress Shari Headley, known for her role in the hit comedy film "Coming to America." The couple had a son named Skyler before divorcing in 1995.
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