Frost (rapper)
Arturo R. Molina Jr. | |
|---|---|
| Born | Arturo R. Molina Jr. May 31, 1964 Windsor, California, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Rapper, songwriter, music producer |
| Years active | 1982–present |
| Known for | "La Raza" (song) |
Arturo R. Molina Jr. (born May 31, 1964), widely recognized by his stage name Frost (initially known as Kid Frost), is an American rapper, songwriter, and music producer. He rose to fame during the 1990s with his first four studio albums: Hispanic Causing Panic, East Side Story, Smile Now, Die Later, and When Hell.A. Freezes Over. His most notable track, "La Raza", peaked at number 6 on the rap charts in August 1990. His debut record is acknowledged as the pioneering Latin hip-hop album.
In 2002, Frost made a return to the Billboard 200 with the release of Still Up in This Shit!. He is also the father of the record producer Scoop DeVille.
Early life
Molina was brought up by his grandmother in Windsor, California, before relocating to Los Angeles, California, with intervals spent residing on military bases located in Guam and Germany. Of Mexican heritage, he embarked on his musical journey in 1982 under the name Kid Frost, drawing inspiration from competitor Ice-T. His initial DJ role models included Dr. Dre and DJ Yella, and he performed as a breakdancer for Uncle Jamms Army.
Career
During the mid-1980s, Frost issued several singles prior to the gangsta rap era through Los Angeles-based labels Electrobeat and Baja. By the late 1980s, he secured a contract with Virgin Records. His debut album, Hispanic Causing Panic (1990), featured the track "La Raza," which fused East L.A. cultural elements and became recognized as an "East L.A. anthem." This album is credited as the inaugural release in Chicano rap, significantly advancing Latin rappers on the West Coast.
Frost established the Latin rap collective Latin Alliance, which released its only album in 1991. His sophomore effort, East Side Story, arrived in 1992.
In 1995, he dropped "Kid" from his moniker and signed with Ruthless Records, unveiling Smile Now, Die Later, which featured collaborations with artists such as Above The Law, A.L.T., and Rick James. His follow-up Ruthless album, When Hell.A.Freezes Over (1997), included guest appearances from Ice-T, Scoop DeVille, among others. In 1998, Frost partnered with South Park Mexican on tracks for the Power Moves: The Table project.
By 1999, Frost transitioned to independent label Celeb Entertainment Inc., releasing This Was Then This Is Now Vol. I, which included features from Kurupt, Xzibit, and Baby Bash. The subsequent volume was released in 2000 with further collaborations.
His 2002 album Still Up In This Shit!, distributed via Hit-A-Lick and Koch Records, combined Latin rap with g-funk influences and featured artists such as Mellow Man Ace, Daz Dillinger, and Tierra.
In 2004, Frost introduced Welcome to Frost Angeles through Thump Records, predominantly produced by himself alongside Scoop DeVille, including contributions from Cameosis and Jay Tee. Later, he signed with Low Profile Records for the 2006 album Till The Wheels Fall Off, which featured Baby Bash and Mr. Sancho.
Frost's musical contributions extend to film soundtracks like "Bite the Bullet (Theme from Gunmen)" for Gunmen (1993) and "Tears Of A Mother" for No Mothers Crying, No Babies Dying, featuring Ice-T.
Expanding his artistic pursuits into acting, Frost made his debut in Platinum Illusions and provided the voice for T-Bone Mendez in the video game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, which also showcased his song "La Raza".
In August 2006, he was appointed vice president of Goldmark Industries' Music Division. He appeared briefly in Snoop Dogg's "Vato" music video and collaborated with Serio on the 2009 album N.T.I.R. Part 2 The Revenge of Serio.
In 2016, Frost publicly revealed that he had been diagnosed with cancer.
Studio albums
- Hispanic Causing Panic (1990)
- East Side Story (1992)
- Smile Now, Die Later (1995)
- When Hell.A. Freezes Over (1997)
- That Was Then, This Is Now, Vol. 1 (1999)
- That Was Then, This Is Now, Vol. 2 (2000)
- Still Up in This Shit! (2002)
- Welcome to Frost Angeles (2004)
- Till the Wheels Fall Off (2006)
- All Oldies (2011)
- All Oldies II (2012)
- Old School Funk (2013)
- The Good Man (2013)
Collaboration albums
- Latin Alliance alongside Latin Alliance (1991)
- Velvet City in partnership with Latino Velvet (2000)