Sir Mixalot

(Temp. bio from Wikipedia)

Real Name: Anthony Ray
D.O.B.: August 12th, 1963 Seattle, Washington

Sir Mix-a-Lot worked together with Miami bass icon DJ Magic Mike, Mudhoney, Metal Church (on a cover of Black Sabbath's "Iron Man"). He worked with an artist known as Kid Sensation (now known as Xola) for several tracks including 2 of his most popular songs, "Buttermilk Biscuits" (1988), and "Square Dance Rap" (1988). He first was signed by Nastymix Records, then left, established Rhyme Cartel Records and was signed by American Recordings.

Sir Mix-a-Lot's first break came in 1986 when a demo tape of "Square Dance Rap" started getting airplay on UK radio. Its popularity lead to its release as a single on the UK Streetwave label and Sir Mix-a-Lot's inclusion in the line-up in the UK Fresh concert at Wembley Arena later that year alongside many of hip hop's leading artists at the time.

His first hit, released on Nastymix Records in 1988, was the single "Posse on Broadway", giving some the impression that he was a New Yorker. The reference was actually to the street of the same name on Seattle's Capitol Hill. The song contains a sample from David Bowie's 1975 hit "Fame".

Other popular hits include "Buttermilk Biscuits" (1988), "Square Dance Rap" (1988), "Beepers" (1989), "My Hooptie" (1990) — a song about a car in disrepair — and "Jump On It" (1996). Sir Mix-a-Lot has tended to write, arrange, program, perform, and produce his own music.

His best-known song is the Miami Bass styled song, "Baby Got Back" a number one hit that won him fame and the 1993 Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance. The single has since been parodied many times and is usually played in irony, celebrated for its over-the-top nature. A hook from the title song of his 1988 release Swass is finding a new audience with the success of The Pussycat Dolls' "Don't Cha".

In 1995, Sir Mix-a-Lot starred as the titular character of the short-lived TV series The Watcher. The show was one of the first dramas aired on the fledgling broadcast network, UPN. Reminiscent of series such as The Twilight Zone, Sir-Mix-a-Lot functioned as an omniscient narrator who introduced each episode, which would feature a new tale set in the seamy underbelly of Las Vegas.

A big fall-out with American Recordings in the run-up to the release of Return of the Bumpasaurus and general disillusionment with the direction rap music was taking led to a three year break before a return with a new record label for the release of Daddy's Home. During the three year break, Sir Mix-a-Lot worked closely with another group, The Presidents of the United States of America under the group name "Subset" with a combination of rock and rap music, however nothing was ever officially released.

Discography:

  • 1988 Swass
  • 1989 Seminar
  • 1992 Mack Daddy
  • 1994 Chief Boot Knocka
  • 1996 Return of the Bumpasaurus
  • 2000 Beepers, Benzos, and Booty: The Best of Sir Mix-a-Lot
  • 2003 Daddy's Home