''2 Hype'' is the debut studio album by American rap duo

Kid 'n Play Kid 'n Play is an American hip-hop duo from New York City that was most popular in the late 1980s and early 1990s. The duo was composed of Christopher Reid ("Kid") and Christopher Martin ("Play") working alongside their DJ, Mark "DJ Wiz" Eas ...

. It was released on October 26, 1988, through

Select Records Select Records is an American record label. Among its most popular acts were the Real Roxanne, Chubb Rock, AMG, The Jerky Boys, Kid 'n Play, UTFO, Whistle, and Gary Private. From 1990 to 1995, it had a distribution deal with Elektra Records ...

. Recording sessions took place at Bayside Sound Recording Studio in New York. Production was handled by Hurby "Luv Bug" Azor and the Invincibles. It features the lone

guest appearance In show business, a guest appearance is the participation of an outsider performer (such as a musician or actor) in an event such as a music record or concert, show, etc., when the performer does not belong to the regular band, cast, or other ...

from

The Real Roxanne Elease Jack (born July 24, 1968), better known by her stage name the Real Roxanne, is an American hip hop MC who recorded for Select Records. Elease was born in New York City, New York. In the 1980s, she, the producer of Roxanne Shante, and o ...

. The album reached number 96 on the ''Billboard'' 200, number nine on the

Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums is a music chart published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine that ranks R&B and hip hop albums based on sales in the United States and is compiled by Nielsen SoundScan. The chart debuted as Hot R&B LPs in the issue dated ...

and was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America. Three singles found success on the ''Billboard''

Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs The Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart ranks the most popular R&B and hip hop songs in the United States and is published weekly by '' Billboard''. Rankings are based on a measure of radio airplay, sales data, and streaming activity. The chart had 100 ...

and

Hot Rap Songs Hot Rap Songs (formerly known as Hot Rap Tracks and Hot Rap Singles) is a chart released weekly by ''Billboard'' in the United States. It lists the 25 most popular hip-hop/rap songs, calculated weekly by airplay on rhythmic and urban radio stati ...

charts: "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).

Critical reception

The Rolling Stone Album Guide ''The Rolling Stone Album Guide'', previously known as ''The Rolling Stone Record Guide'', is a book that contains professional music reviews written and edited by staff members from ''Rolling Stone'' magazine. Its first edition was published in 1 ...

'' called the album "witty and entertaining," writing that "its amiable energy never disappoints." In 2008, "Rollin' with Kid 'n Play" was ranked #63 on VH1's 100 Greatest Songs of Hip Hop.

Track listing

Charts

Certifications

References

External links

* {{Authority control 1988 debut albums Kid 'n Play albums Select Records albums Albums produced by Hurby Azor New jack swing albums