Sir Mix A Lot
Some artists are little more than a flash-in-the-pan hit, whose names we forget even though we remember their catchy songs well over a decade later. Sir Mix A Lot is not one of those artists. The Seattle-based American rapper and producer has been giving us great hip hop since the early 1980s, but he is most known for the hits of the 90s. Starting off the decade with a bang, his debut album, Swass, was certified platinum in 1990.
But it wasn’t until 1992 that his magnum opus would grace the world in the form of the hit song “Baby Got Back,” which caused quite a bit of controversy due to its blatantly sexual lyrics and its buttock-worshiping overtones. The song was briefly banned from playing on MTV, but that didn’t stop it from turning into an anthem. In 1992, the only song that outsold “Baby Got Back” was Whitney Houston’s hit, “I Will Always Love You.” It’s safe to say Sir Mix A Lot did pretty well for himself with that one. Even if we all pretended to be offended the fact that he liked big butts and he could not lie. Allow the man his convictions, MTV!
Despite a decline in popularity throughout the late 90s, Sir Mix A Lot never stopped working in the music industry. He took several years off recording in the late aughts, but he continued to mix constantly. Back in 2010, he announced a new album called Dun 4Got About Mix, and subsequently released his single, “Carz,” on YouTube. In 2013, he produced an album for Ayron Jones and the Way, and the following year, he collaborated and performed on a new composition with the Seattle Symphony. Now, we know what your next question is– what did Sir Mix A Lot, the king of buttock-praising rap songs, have to say a bout Nicki Minaj’s hit, “Anaconda”? After all, the song featured several samples from his own hit single.
Sir Mix A Lot loved “Anaconda”. He loved it so much that he dared call it the ‘new and improved’ version of his masterpiece, “Baby Got Back”. We’re glad you think so, Sir Mix A Lot, but there’s no replacing the good, old-fashioned sense of 90s scandal that comes with your gift to humanity. We have no word on whether or not Sir Mix A Lot ever plans on releasing new music (we’re still waiting on 4Got About Mix, which dropped off the face of the Earth), but we remain hopeful. Please, Sir Mix A Lot. Teach a new generation how to write great songs about big butts.
