Sir Mix-a-Lot facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Sir Mix-a-Lot
Sir Mix-a-Lot in December 2006
Background information
Birth name	Anthony L. Ray
Also known as	Bumpasaurus, Prime Minista
Born	(1963-08-12) August 12, 1963 (age 61) Auburn, Washington, U.S.
Origin	Seattle, Washington, U.S.
Genres	Hip hop electro-funk
Occupation(s)	Rapper songwriter record producer
Years active	1981–present
Labels	Nastymix Ichiban American Artist Direct BMG
Associated acts	Rick Rubin

Anthony L. Ray (born August 12, 1963), known as Sir Mix-a-Lot, is an American rapper. He is famous for his 1992 hit song "Baby Got Back". This song reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 music chart. He was also known by his radio nickname, Prime Minista.

Early Life and School

Anthony Ray was born on August 12, 1963, in Auburn, Washington. This town is close to Seattle. He grew up in a part of Seattle called the Central District. When he was young, his mother worked as a nurse at the King County Jail. Anthony loved hip hop music and started rapping in the early 1980s.

He went to Roosevelt High School in Seattle. At that time, the school system was trying to mix students from different areas. Students were taken by bus from their neighborhoods to schools across the city. Anthony said that this experience was good for him. It gave him a chance to go to a good school, which he might not have had otherwise. A music teacher at Eckstein Middle School helped him see that he could have a career in music.

From a young age, Anthony was interested in electronics and CB radio. One of his first jobs was fixing pinball machines. During this time, he also learned to fix musical equipment like keyboards. He still enjoys working with electronics as a hobby.

Music Career

The 1980s: Getting Started

After high school, Sir Mix-a-Lot began playing music at parties. He was a DJ at local community centers. By 1983, he was regularly DJing on weekends at the Rainier Vista Boys and Girls Club. Later, he moved his parties to the Rotary Boys and Girls Club. There, he met 'Nasty' Nes Rodriguez. Nes was a local radio DJ who hosted the first rap radio show on the West Coast.

Sir Mix-a-Lot, Nasty Nes, and a businessman named Ed Locke started their own record label called Nastymix in 1983. Their first song to become popular was "Square Dance Rap" in 1986. Mix-a-Lot used a fast, high-pitched voice for the song. He said he didn't want to rap in his normal voice. After the song became popular, he toured different states.

In Arizona, he saw a street named Broadway and a restaurant called Dick's, just like in Seattle. This gave him the idea for his next song, "Posse on Broadway". The song was about Broadway in Seattle's Capitol Hill area. It came out in 1987 and became popular in Seattle because it mentioned many local places.

Sir Mix-a-Lot's first album, Swass, was released in 1988. It included "Square-Dance Rap" and "Iron Man." "Iron Man" was a rap metal song that used parts of the famous song by Black Sabbath. In 1990, Swass sold over a million copies, earning a platinum award.

His next album, Seminar, came out in 1989. It featured songs like "My Hooptie" and "Beepers."

The 1990s: "Baby Got Back" and More

In 1991, Sir Mix-a-Lot joined the Def American record label. In 1992, he released his third album, Mack Daddy. The song "Baby Got Back" from this album became a huge hit. It reached number one and sold over two million copies. In 1993, he won a Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance for the song. The music video for "Baby Got Back" was only shown on MTV after 9 PM because of many complaints.

In 1993, Sir Mix-a-Lot worked with the band Mudhoney on a song called "Freak Momma." This song was for the Judgment Night movie soundtrack.

His 1994 album, Chief Boot Knocka, also did well. It reached number 69 on the Billboard 200 chart. This album included the song "Put 'Em On The Glass."

In 1996, his album Return of the Bumpasaurus did not sell as well. After this, Sir Mix-a-Lot left Def American. He then worked with the band The Presidents of the United States of America on a project called "Subset," mixing rock and rap. However, they did not officially release any music.

The 2000s and 2010s

Sir Mix-a-Lot released his album Daddy's Home in 2003. The main song from this album was "Big Johnson." He also released a DVD in 2004 to promote the album.

In 2010, Sir Mix-a-Lot announced a new album called Dun 4got About Mix. The first song, "Carz," was put on YouTube. The album has not been released yet.

Sir Mix-a-lot performing at the 2024 Winter Classic in Seattle.

In 2013, Sir Mix-a-Lot helped produce an album for the band Ayron Jones and The Way. He also promoted the Washington State Lottery during Christmas with his music in advertisements.

In 2014, he performed with the Seattle Symphony. They played a new piece of music inspired by Seattle's music artists. Also in 2014, rapper Nicki Minaj released her song "Anaconda." This song used parts of "Baby Got Back." Sir Mix-a-Lot liked her song and called it a "new and improved version."

From 2017 to 2019, Sir Mix-a-Lot hosted a morning radio show in Seattle. He still performs at small festivals across the country.

Other Projects

In 1995, Sir Mix-a-Lot hosted a TV show called The Watcher. He later said he wished he hadn't done the show.

He has also appeared on several animated TV shows. In 2006, he was on Adult Swim's Tom Goes to the Mayor and The Simpsons. In 2008, he was on Robot Chicken, singing a song about King Arthur's Round Table. He also voiced characters like Hans Blix and Stevie Wonder. He appeared as himself in an episode of BoJack Horseman.

Sir Mix-a-Lot also provided narration for Wheedle's Groove. This 2009 documentary was about the funk and soul music scene in Seattle during the 1960s and 70s.

In June 2018, a TV special called Sir Mix-A-Lot's House Remix aired. It showed Sir Mix-a-Lot buying and fixing up a house in Seattle.

Discography

• Swass (1988)
• Seminar (1989)
• Mack Daddy (1992)
• Chief Boot Knocka (1994)
• Return of the Bumpasaurus (1996)
• Daddy's Home (2003)

Awards and Nominations

Grammy Awards

MTV Video Music Awards

American Music Awards

Soul Train Music Awards

See also

In Spanish: Sir Mix-a-Lot para niños