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Tone Lōc
Tone Lōc performing in October 2023
Background information
Birth name	Anthony Terrell Smith
Also known as	Tone Lōc
Born	(1966-03-03)March 3, 1966 (age 59) Los Angeles,California, U.S.
Genres	Hip hop
Occupations	Rapper actor record producer
Instrument	Vocals
Years active	1987–present
Labels	Delicious Vinyl Rhino

Anthony Terrell Smith (born March 3, 1966), best known by hisstage nameTone Lōc (/toʊnloʊk/), is an American rapper^[1] and actor. He is known for his raspy voice, his hit songs "Wild Thing" and "Funky Cold Medina", for which he was nominated for aGrammy Award, and for being featured in "We're All in the Same Gang", a collaborative single by the West Coast Rap All-Stars.

Anthony Terrell Smith was born March 3, 1966, inLos Angeles,California, the son of Margaret, who managed a retirement home, and James Smith who died in 1972.^[2] As a result of his father's premature death, Tone Lōc and his three older brothers were raised by his mother.^[3] He was educated at theHollywood Professional School.^[3] As a teenager, he performed with the rap group Triple A.^[3]

Tone Lōc's debut album,Lōc-ed After Dark, was released in January 1989. The video for the first single, "Wild Thing," became a staple onMTV in the US. The song rose to No. 2 on theBillboard Hot 100, and the top twenty in Australia. The second single, "Funky Cold Medina," also became a hit. It reached the top 5 in the US, peaking at No. 3; the top ten in Australia; and the top twenty in the UK.^[4]

Lōc-ed After Dark reached No. 1 in the US. Since its release, it has been certified 2× platinum there.

Tone Lōc's second albumCool Hand Lōc was released in November 1991. The album's first single was "All Through the Night", which found moderate success, reaching No. 80 on theBillboard Hot 100 and #16 on theHot Rap Songs chart. It received frequent airplay on MTV andBET. He also contributed "If I'm Gonna Eat Somebody" for20th Century Fox'sFernGully.

Tone Lōc played the part of police Sergeant Emilio in the filmAce Ventura: Pet Detective (1994). Tone Lōc's song "Ace Is in the House", which samples theBeastie Boys song "No Sleep till Brooklyn", is featured in the filmsAce Ventura: Pet Detective andAce Ventura Jr.: Pet Detective (2009).

He provided vocals forFefe Dobson for the track "Rock It Till You Drop It" on herself-titled debut album.

Tone Lōc also voiced Fūd Wrapper, the host of theanimatronic showFood Rocks. This was played atEpcot from 1994 to 2004. In this latter role, he sang the song "Always Read the Wrapper", a parody of his second hit single "Funky Cold Medina".

He appeared as Albert in episode 8 of season 2 ofTouched by an Angel, which aired November 11, 1995.

Tone Lōc has performed in several feature films, includingPoetic Justice,Blank Check,Heat andPosse.^[5] As avoice actor, Tone Lōc has voiced characters in several animated television series such asKing of the Hill andC Bear and Jamal,^[5] and was featured in the animated filmBebe's Kids, playing the wise-cracking baby Pee Wee.^[6] He voiced the character Lou the Goanna in the 1992 filmFernGully: The Last Rainforest.^[7] He has also provided his signature voice for episodes ofChowder andUncle Grandpa, both airing onCartoon Network. In 2022, Tone Lōc was featured as the singing voice of Penny Proud inThe Proud Family: Louder and Prouder onDisney+.^[8]

Tone Lōc was among the list of performers on the I Love the 90s Tour, which has performed worldwide since April 2016,^[9] as well as having featured appearances on theI Love the 90s: The Party Continues Tour from July to September 2017.^[10]

In December 2010, Tone Lōc was arrested for an allegedDUI. He was released on bail claiming a medical condition had caused aseizure.^[5]

On June 18, 2011, Tone Lōc was arrested for felony domestic violence and felony possession of aColt AR-15 Sporter rifle,^[11] which is heavily restricted by California law.^[12] The weapon was not involved in the domestic incident,^[11] an altercation with the mother of one of his children.^[13] Tone Lōc was released less than three hours later after posting $50,000 bail.^[14][15] On October 3, 2011, he entered a plea of no contest to both charges, and was sentenced to one day in county jail, three years of probation, 52 weeks of anger management counseling and 30 days of community service.^[11]

On March 23, 2019, Tone Loc was detained by theMidland Police Department inTexas.^[16] It was later revealed that the reason for the detention was a heated argument caused when Lōc confronted someone who was wearing aConfederate battle flag baseball cap. After the two arguing parties agreed to separate, Lōc was released and no charges were filed.^[17]

Tone Lōc has collapsed onstage multiple times since 1995; some if not all of these collapses have been due toseizures, according to at least one report.^[18] On May 29, 2009, he was rushed to a hospital^[19] after collapsing during a concert inPensacola, Florida.^[18] The rapper cut his elbow when he fell and was released the same day.^[19]

On October 15, 2011, Lōc was hospitalized for exhaustion after collapsing onstage during a concert inAtlanta,Georgia. He was taken to a local hospital and intravenously rehydrated.^[20] Another similar incident occurred in 2012.^[21] On March 16, 2013, he collapsed onstage at a performance at the Bridge Bash inDes Moines, Iowa,^[21] but refused hospital care.^[18] Lōc collapsed onstage on December 6, 2013, during a performance inSan Francisco, California, and collapsed again on November 26, 2016, during a performance inSioux Falls, South Dakota, but he later returned to the stage.^[22] Lōc wears his signature sunglasses at every performance to help reduce the likelihood of a seizure.

Notes

• List of artists who reached number one on the U.S. Dance Club Songs chart
• List ofBillboard number-one dance club songs

• Tone Loc atIMDb

• 1966 births
• Living people
• African-American male actors
• African-American male rappers
• 20th-century American male rappers
• American male voice actors
• Crips
• Pop rappers
• Delicious Vinyl artists
• Male actors from Los Angeles
• Rappers from Los Angeles
• West Coast hip-hop musicians
• University High School (Los Angeles) alumni
• 21st-century American rappers
• 21st-century American male musicians
• 21st-century African-American musicians
• 20th-century African-American musicians

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