2 HYPE
2 Hype is the debut album by rap duo, Kid ’n Play. The album was released in 1988 for Select Records, distributed by Landmark Distributors owned by Jeffrey Collins, and was produced by Hurby Luv Bug and The Invincibles. (More from Wikipedia)
I recently bought the first album by Kid ’N Play, 2 Hype (1988) – mostly because of the hair, I admit, since I really didn’t know anything else about them – and found it to be a really enjoyable record. The cover shot is about as non-threatening as you can get. Allmusic gives the album 4½ stars. with Steve Huey raving: “Accusations of being soft notwithstanding, those qualities are exactly what give their debut album, 2 Hype, its refreshing charm. There isn’t much on the duo’s minds other than friendship, dancing, and dating, and everything stays pretty innocent – Kid even confesses to being shy around girls on ‘Undercover’. If all of this seems safe and lightweight, it’s also a tremendous amount of good, clean fun. Hurby ‘Luv Bug’ Azor’s production keeps things danceable and engaging throughout; the sound is fairly spare, with funky and occasionally club-friendly beats, catchy instrumental hooks behind the choruses, and basic DJ scratching. . . . And even if its sound and style are very much of their time, 2 Hype still holds up surprisingly well, thanks to Kid ’N Play’s winning personalities.”
(September 2016)
