R.I.P. Chris Wong Won, better known as Fresh Kid Ice The Chinaman, a hip hop legend whose soul and influence will live forever in the hearts and minds of millions of fans.
Although most famous for co-founding and rapping on every 2 Live Crew album, he maintained a heartfelt commitment to independent music, and as he earned success he founded a label with friends Kurtis Coley and Greg Allen called Miami Bass Records, which had its own affiliated DJ crew, mobile sound systems, a store in Austin, Texas, and manufacturing and distribution for its musical output from a deal with Henry Stone.
Stone’s HOT Productions was one of the nation’s leading manufacturing and distribution firms with associated catalogs all the way through the CD era, with HOT serving as umbrella for some fifty labels in underground markets like High Energy, Bass, Rap, Techno, Freestyle and various other forms of dance, and R&B.
Balli & The Fat Daddy song “Master Plan” is from the group’s sole full length release of the same name which came out on Miami Bass Records via HOT Productions in 1990.
Fresh Kid Ice introduces the track, which is an underground rap hit in Miami for it’s “Who is the man with the masterplan…” refrain.
Miami Bass Records put out approximately eight 12″ records and one LP Album from 1990-91. DJ Toomp, who went on to work with T.I., Ludacris, and Mariah Carey is a featured producer. Fresh Kid Ice enjoyed his role as an executive able to give opportunities to his friends, and to unknown artists that he believed in. That is the same exact attitude promoted by Henry Stone, and that’s probably why Chris enjoyed learning from him.
A big shout out to both Fresh Kid Ice and Henry Stone, now able to talk shop and enjoy the beat on the other side of the pearly gates.
From 1946 to 2014, Henry Stone ruled the Florida music industry with an iron fist, a brick of cash, and a warehouse full of vinyl. HSM is the last of over one hundred record labels he personally founded. The HSM record label includes works from every decade in his sixty-five year career right up until today. Licensing available for film, samples, advertising, movies, video games, and more. Family owned and operated.