The Chinaman (album)
The Chinaman is the first studio album by American rapper Fresh Kid Ice (Christopher Wong Won) of the 2 Live Crew. It was released on July 15, 1992 by Effect Records. Wong Won started to work on the album in 1992, because he was troubled with the direction 2 Live Crew member Luther Campbell was taking and wanted to stay away. It reached number 38 on the "Billboard" Heatseekers Albums chart and No. 56 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. The album was the first American hip hop album to embrace having an Asian heritage . Production. Wong Won said he took on the project in 1992, because he wanted to distanced himself from 2 Live Crew member Luther Campbell, who at the time had a beef with Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg. He felt it was awkward and out of place since all previous interaction with them had been friendly, hence he suggested a solo project to his label, and started it without a budget. He also said, without taking an advance, all beats were programmed in his garage with friends and artists he produced, they went into the company's studio and recorded it  and that it sold over 200,000 copies with very limited promotion. The singles were"Dick 'Em Down," "I'll Be There," and "Freak 'Em Down" (the clean version of "Dick 'Em Down"). "The Chinaman" is the first American hip hop album to embrace an Asian heritage. It inverts the stereotypes into prideful declarations of self-identity. On the Billboard charts, the album peaked at No. 38 and stayed two weeks on the "Heatseekers Albums" chart. "The Chinaman" was also on the "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums" chart for ten weeks, peaking at No. 56.