Sir Mix-a-Lot | |
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 Sir Mix-a-Lot in 2006 | |
| Background information | |
| Also known as | Bumpasaurus Prime Minista |
| Born | Anthony L. Ray (1963-08-12)August 12, 1963 (age 62) Auburn, Washington, U.S. |
| Origin | Seattle,Washington, U.S. |
| Genres | |
| Occupations |
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| Years active | 1981–present[2] |
| Labels | |
| Website | sirmixalot |
Anthony L. Ray (born August 12, 1963), better known by his stage nameSir Mix-a-Lot or hisCBhandlePrime Minista, is an American rapper. He is best known for his 1992 hit song "Baby Got Back", which peaked at number one on theBillboard Hot 100.
Anthony Ray was born on August 12, 1963, inAuburn, Washington, and grew up inSeattle's Central District. In Ray's youth, his mother worked as a licensed practical nurse at the King County Jail. Ray was a fan ofhip hop and started rapping in the early 1980s.[3]
While living in the Bryant Manor apartments on 19th Ave and East Yesler Way, Anthony Ray started school atRoosevelt High School, near the University District, when the Seattle Public School District was in the throes of what would be a 21-year experiment to integrate the school system. Students were bused from their neighborhoods to schools at the other end of the city. From 1978 to 1999, when the busing program was in operation, minorities were the chief beneficiaries of busing, going from the South End and the Central Area to predominantly white schools in the North End.[4]
Ray said he knew that some North End residents did not want black children bused into their neighborhoods. But for him, the experience offered respite from the projects. "I've heard things like, 'Forced integration is not good,' 'I want my kid to be able to go to school in our community; that's why we moved here' – all those things I totally understand," he said. "But from my perspective, I didn't have the luxury of living in a neighborhood where a good school was. We didn't make that kind of money. So from my perspective, it was the best thing that could have happened to me."[4] A music teacher at Eckstein Middle School introduced Ray to the possibility of a music career.
Ray was interested in electronics and CB radio from a young age. One of his early jobs was working at a pinball arcade servicing machines, and during that time he started to fix keyboards and other musical equipment. He still works with electronics as a hobby.[5]
Soon after high school, he began DJing parties at local community centers.[6] By 1983, Sir Mix-a-Lot had begun playing weekends regularly at the Rainier Vista Boys and Girls Club in South Seattle. Soon he moved locations and started hosting his parties at the Rotary Boys and Girls Club in the Central District. It was there that he met 'Nasty' Nes Rodriguez, a local radio DJ and host of Fresh Tracks, the West Coast's first rap radio show on Seattle stationKKFX (K-Fox).[7]
Sir Mix-a-Lot partnered with Nasty Nes and local businessman Ed Locke to found the Nastymix record label in 1983.[8] The first song to gain popularity outside of Seattle was "Square Dance Rap" in 1986. Mix-a-Lot had originally decided to rap the entire song slowly, then speed it up and increase its pitch in post production, Mix later toldSeattle Refined in 2018 that "I didn't want to rap, that's why I use this weird Smurf voice".[9] After the song was picked up by DJs in clubs nationwide, he toured Florida, New York, and other states. While in Arizona, he noticed a street named Broadway with a restaurant namedDick's, just like Seattle. This gave him the idea to write his next hit, "Posse on Broadway".[10] The title referred toBroadway in Seattle'sCapitol Hill district.[11] Released in 1987, the single made the Top 100 but quickly disappeared, although it remains popular in the Seattle area for its references to many local landmarks.
Swass, Sir Mix-a-Lot's debut album, was released in 1988 with two other singles: "Square-Dance Rap"[11] and "Iron Man", arap metal track sampling from thesong of the same name byBlack Sabbath; it was backed by the bandMetal Church.[12] In 1990, theRecording Industry Association of America certifiedSwassplatinum.[13]
Seminar, released in 1989, featured "My Hooptie", "Beepers", "Gortex" and "I Got Game".
In 1991, Sir Mix-a-Lot signed to theDef American label, which also bought the rights to his first two albums, and released his third albumMack Daddy in 1992. The single "Baby Got Back" was a number one hit that went double platinum[13] and won the 1993Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance.[14]MTV aired themusic video for the song only after 9 PM because of "many, many, complaints."[15]
In 1993, Sir Mix-a-Lot collaborated with Seattle-based grunge bandMudhoney for the song "Freak Momma" on theJudgment Night soundtrack.[11]
In 1994, he released the albumChief Boot Knocka, which reached No. 69 on the Billboard 200 and No. 28 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Chart. The album featured the hit single "Put 'Em On The Glass". "Just Da Pimpin' in Me" was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance but lost to "Let Me Ride" by Dr. Dre.
When his 1996 albumReturn of the Bumpasaurus was only given a low label promotion, leading to lackluster sales, Sir Mix-a-Lot left Def American.
In 1999–2000, he worked closely with the bandThe Presidents of the United States of America under the group name "Subset" with a combination of rock and rap music. They released some songs online and toured, but nothing was ever officially released.[16][17][18]
Sir Mix-a-Lot signed with theindependent label Artist Direct for his 2003 albumDaddy's Home with "Big Johnson" as its lead single.[11][19] The next year, he released a DVD entitled "Shhhh... Don't Tell 'Em That" to promote the album.[20]
In 2010, Sir Mix-a-Lot announced his next album,Dun 4got About Mix. The lead single "Carz" was released to YouTube on 23 Nov 2010. By June 2011, the video had had over a million views, although no release date for the album has been set as of 2023.[13] In the same year, hisF.U.B.a.R. Remix for the songConditions Of My Parole appeared onPuscifer's remix albumAll Re-Mixed Up.[21]
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In 2013, Sir Mix-a-Lot produced the albumDream for the urban rock bandAyron Jones and The Way. He opened their album release party at Neumos on November 2. That Christmas season, he promoted theWashington State Lottery over the Christmas season, with advertisements featuring his music appearing onSpotify.[22]
On June 6, 2014, Sir Mix-a-Lot collaborated and performed with theSeattle Symphony on a new composition byGabriel Prokofiev as part of the symphony's Sonic Evolution series of new orchestral pieces inspired by Seattle's music icons.[23][24][25]
In 2014, rapperNicki Minaj released the single "Anaconda",[26] which prominently featured samples from "Baby Got Back". Sir Mix-a-Lot praised both the artist and the song, calling it the "new and improved version" of "Baby Got Back".[27]
In March 2016, Sir Mix-a-Lot collaborated with TNT and LK on the track and video, "Streets Don't Love Me".[28]
From 2017 to 2019, Sir Mix-a-Lot hosted a morning radio show based in Seattle on Hot 103.7 FM.
He owns multiple residences, including one in Auburn, Washington, where he has continued to maintain a strong presence performing at small festivals across the country.
In 1995, Sir Mix-a-Lot was the regular host of the short-lived UPN anthology drama seriesThe Watcher, in which, in 2000, he was quoted inVibe magazine as saying "in retrospect, I wish I hadn't done (the show)".[29]
In 2006, Sir Mix-a-Lot appeared onAdult Swim'sTom Goes to the Mayor and the17th Treehouse of Horror onFox'sThe Simpsons. In 2008, he appeared on Adult Swim'sRobot Chicken singing a song entitled "Table Be Round". It was sung in the style of "Baby Got Back", but was about to King Arthur's creation of the Round Table. He also voiced politicianHans Blix and singerStevie Wonder in theseason 3 finale. He appeared in "The Judge" episode of Season 4 ofBoJack Horseman playing himself. Then in 2025, He appeared in the episode, "Lois C.K." onFox'sFamily Guy while singing a song entitled "Lady Kneecaps". Which was also sung in the style of "Baby Got Back", but was about big thighs.
Sir Mix-a-Lot provides narration and commentary inWheedle's Groove, a 2009 documentary about the Seattle 1960s and 70s funk and soul scene.[30]
In June 2018, theDIY Network aired a special calledSir Mix-A-Lot's House Remix, which involved Sir Mix-a-Lot buying and flipping a house in Seattle.[31]
In 2019, he became the spokesperson forCards Against Humanity's "Ass Pack".[32]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | The Watcher | Himself/Host | Main role |
| 2006 | Tom Goes to the Mayor | Himself (voice) | Episode: "My Big Cups" |
| 2006 | The Simpsons | Himself (voice) | Episode: "Treehouse of Horror XVII" |
| 2008 | Robot Chicken | Himself,Hans Blix,Stevie Wonder (voices) | Episode: "Chirlaxx" |
| 2017 | BoJack Horseman | Himself (voice) | Episode: "The Judge" |
| 2018 | Sir Mix-a-Lot's House Remix | Himself | Television special |
| 2025 | Family Guy | Himself (voice) | Episode: "Lois C.K." |
| Year | Nominated work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | "Baby Got Back" | Best Rap Solo Performance | Won |
| 1994 | "Just Da Pimpin' In Me" | Best Rap Solo Performance | Nominated |
| 1999 | Televoid | Best Long Form Music Video | Nominated |
| Year | Nominated work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 | "Baby Got Back" | Best Rap Video | Nominated |
| 1992 | "Baby Got Back" | Best Direction in a Video | Nominated |
| 1993 | "Baby Got Back" | Best Art Direction in a Video | Nominated |
| Year | Nominated work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | Sir Mix-a-Lot | Favorite Rap/Hip-Hop Artist | Won |
| Year | Nominated work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | "Baby Got Back" | Best R&B/Soul Single – Male | Nominated |
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