Baby Got Back

Last updated
"Baby Got Back"
BabyGotBack.jpg
Single by Sir Mix-a-Lot
from the album Mack Daddy
B-side "Cake Boy"/"You Can't Slip"
ReleasedMay 7, 1992 (1992-05-07)
Recorded1991
Genre
Length4:21
Label
Songwriter(s) Sir Mix-a-Lot
Producer(s)
Sir Mix-a-Lot singles chronology
"One Time's Got No Case"
(1991)		"Baby Got Back"
(1992)		"Swap Meet Louie"
(1992)
Music video
"Baby Got Back" on YouTube
No.TitleLength
1."Baby Got Back" (album version)4:21
2."Cake Boy"4:12
3."You Can't Slip"5:05
4."Baby Got Back" (Tekno-Metal Edit)4:20
5."Baby Got Back" (Hard B.W.B. Hip Hop Mix)4:35
6."Baby Got Back" (Hurricane Mix)5:04

Charts

Certifications

RegionCertification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA) [32] Gold35,000^
United Kingdom (BPI) [37] Silver200,000‡
United States (RIAA) [38] 2× Platinum2,000,000^
United States (RIAA) [39]
Digital download 		Gold2,077,760 [40]

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

In 2019, former governor of Alaska and Republican vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin performed the song on Fox's The Masked Singer while dressed as a bear. [41] [42]

Jonathan Coulton/Glee cover

Jonathan Coulton released a cover of "Baby Got Back" during his Thing a Week project in October 2005, with the song being released as part of the first Thing A Week compilation album the next year. [43] Coulton performs the song on acoustic guitar with a gentle and tender melody at odds with the lascivious nature of the lyrics.

Coulton's arrangement of the song was used in a 2013 episode of the musical television series Glee without Coulton's knowledge or permission. [44] Coulton publicly lambasted the show's producers, and alleged that they had even lifted elements from his recording, [45] but claimed that Fox responded that "they're within their legal rights to do this, and that [Coulton] should be happy for the exposure", though Coulton pointed out that he was not credited within the episode. [45] Coulton released his cover of "Baby Got Back" to iTunes, labelling it "a cover of Glee's cover of my cover of Sir Mix-a-Lot's song", with proceeds going to charity. [46] Coulton pursued legal charges against the show's producers, but ultimately dropped them, deciding a seeming victory in the court of public opinion was "a good enough win." The controversy was referenced in a season 5 episode of The Good Wife entitled "Goliath and David". [47]

In a 2000 interview, Sir Mix-a-Lot reflected, "There's always butt songs. Hell, I got the idea sitting up here listening to old Parliament records: Motor Booty Affair . Black men like butts. That's the bottom line." [48] The song is part of a tradition of 1970s–90s African-American music celebrating the female posterior, including "Da Butt", "Rump Shaker", and "Shake Your Groove Thing". [49]

In 2014, Trinidadian-American rapper Nicki Minaj sampled "Baby Got Back", including some of its verses, for her hit "Anaconda", from the album The Pinkprint . [50] The song has been viewed by some as a diss track, in answer to "Baby Got Back". Whereas Sir Mix-a-Lot focuses on a woman's body and the pleasure it gives him, Minaj raps from the perspective of the unnamed woman, and shows how she uses her callipygian physique to profit and empower herself. [51]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sir Mix-a-Lot</span> American rapper (born 1963)

Anthony L. Ray, better known by his stage name Sir Mix-a-Lot or his CB handle Prime Minista, is an American rapper. He is best known for his 1992 hit song "Baby Got Back", which peaked at number one on the Billboard Hot 100.

<i>Mos Def & Talib Kweli Are Black Star</i> 1998 studio album by Black Star

Mos Def & Talib Kweli Are Black Star is the debut studio album by American hip hop duo Black Star, composed of rappers Talib Kweli and Yasiin Bey. The album was released on September 29, 1998, to critical acclaim. The title is a reference to the Black Star Line, a shipping line founded by Pan-Africanist Marcus Garvey. The album deals with modern-day issues, philosophical ideas, and life in Brooklyn, New York City as the two artists know it.

New jack swing, new jack, or swingbeat is a fusion genre of the rhythms and production techniques of hip hop and dance-pop, and the urban contemporary sound of R&B. Spearheaded by producers Teddy Riley, Bernard Belle, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, new jack swing was most popular from the late 1980s to early 1990s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Me So Horny</span> 1989 single by 2 Live Crew

"Me So Horny" is a song by the rap group 2 Live Crew on their album As Nasty as They Wanna Be. The explicit nature of the lyrics of this song and the album led to the initially successful prosecution of the group on obscenity charges and the album being banned from sale in Florida. This ban was overturned on appeal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jump (Kris Kross song)</span> 1992 single by Kris Kross

"Jump" is a song by American hip hop duo Kris Kross, released on February 6, 1992 by Ruffhouse and Columbia, as their first single from their debut studio album, Totally Krossed Out (1992). It was produced by Jermaine Dupri and Joe "The Butcher" Nicolo, and achieved international success, topping charts in Switzerland, Australia, and the United States. Additionally, it was the third-best-selling song of 1992 in the United States, with sales of 2,079,000 physical copies that year. The song's accompanying music video was directed by Rich Murray and filmed in Atlanta. Billboard magazine featured "Jump" in their lists of "Billboard's Top Songs of the '90s" in 2019 and "500 Best Pop Songs of All Time" in 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ice Ice Baby</span> 1990 single by Vanilla Ice

"Ice Ice Baby" is the debut single by American rapper Vanilla Ice, K. Kennedy and DJ Earthquake. It samples the bassline of the song "Under Pressure" by British rock band Queen and British singer David Bowie, who did not receive songwriting credit or royalties until after it had become a hit. Released on Vanilla Ice's debut album, To the Extreme (1990), it is his best-known song. It has appeared in remixed form on Platinum Underground and Vanilla Ice Is Back! A live version appears on the album Extremely Live, while a nu metal version appears on the album Hard to Swallow, under the title "Too Cold".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">One More Chance (The Notorious B.I.G. song)</span> 1995 single by The Notorious B.I.G.

"One More Chance / Stay with Me (Remix)" is a song written and recorded by American rapper The Notorious B.I.G. Three versions of the song exist: An original, lyrically explicit version prefaced by an answering machine performance featured on the album, and two versions released as singles, both of which contain identical lyrics by B.I.G. despite differing instrumentals and choruses. The first is an upbeat "Hip Hop Mix" that samples Marley Marl's "Droppin Science", and the second is a sultrier R&B remix parenthetically labeled the "Stay with Me Remix", which samples the namesake 1983 song by the band DeBarge. The lattermost remains the most popular, and features backing vocals and harmonies performed by his wife Faith Evans, as well as uncredited appearances by Mary J. Blige and Bad Boy Records label boss Puff Daddy—who also produced the version with Rashad Smith. It received platinum certification by the RIAA by July 31, 1995, and has sold 1.1 million copies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Positive K</span> American rapper

Positive K is an American MC and songwriter from the Bronx, New York City, New York, and one of the original artists of the First Priority Music camp. He is best known for his hits "I'm Not Havin' It" and his 1992 hit "I Got a Man".

<i>Mack Daddy</i> 1992 studio album by Sir Mix-a-Lot

Mack Daddy is the third studio album by Sir Mix-a-Lot. It was released on February 4, 1992, on Def American Recordings. The album is notable for the hit single "Baby Got Back."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I'll Be There for You/You're All I Need to Get By</span> 1995 single by Method Man featuring Mary J. Blige

"I'll Be There for You/You're All I Need to Get By" is a duet song by American rapper Method Man, featuring American singer-songwriter Mary J. Blige. The song is a remix of Method Man's "All I Need", which appears on his debut studio album Tical (1994). The song, a hip hop soul record, was released as a single by Def Jam Recordings and PolyGram Records on April 25, 1995.

<i>Seminar</i> (album) 1989 studio album by Sir Mix-a-Lot

Seminar is the second album by American rapper Sir Mix-a-Lot. It was released on October 17, 1989, via Nastymix and was produced entirely by Sir Mix-a-Lot. The album peaked at number 67 on the Billboard 200, number 25 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums, and was certified gold by Recording Industry Association of America. It spawned three singles: "Beepers", which peaked at #61 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and #2 on the Hot Rap Songs, "My Hooptie", which peaked at #49 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and #7 on the Hot Rap Songs, and "I Got Game", which peaked at #86 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and #20 on the Hot Rap Songs.

Northwest hip hop is hip hop or rap music that originates from the Pacific Northwest of North America, encompassing major cities such as Portland (Oregon), Seattle (Washington), and other towns. Northwest hip hop music mixes elements from various genres of music to form a sound different from its southern neighbor, West Coast hip hop. For many years the scene existed mainly as an underground genre, but recently Northwest hip-hop has seen more and more mainstream acceptance, with artists such as Macklemore gaining nationwide attention.

<i>Return of the Bumpasaurus</i> 1996 studio album by Sir Mix-a-Lot

Return of the Bumpasaurus is the fifth studio album by American rapper Sir Mix-a-Lot. It was released on August 27, 1996, via American Recordings.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hey Daddy (Daddy's Home)</span> 2009 single by Usher and Plies

"Hey Daddy (Daddy's Home)" is a song by American singer Usher. It was written by longtime Usher collaborator Rico Love, Usher, Plies as well as Andrew Harr and Jermaine Jackson from production duo The Runners for his sixth studio album Raymond v. Raymond (2010), while production was helmed by Love, Harr, and Jackson. "Hey Daddy (Daddy's Home)" was released as the album's first single in the United States, following the buzz single "Papers". It peaked at number twenty-four on the Billboard Hot 100, and at number two on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Physical Funk (song)</span> 1996 single by Domino

"Physical Funk" is a song written, performed and produced by American rapper Domino. It was released on February 6, 1996 through Outburst Records as the lead single from his second studio album Physical Funk.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sir Mix-a-Lot discography</span> American rapper

The discography of American rapper Sir Mix-a-Lot consists of six studio albums and 15 singles.

"Sadie Hawkins" is the eleventh episode of the fourth season of the American musical television series Glee, and the seventy-seventh episode overall. Written by Ross Maxwell and directed by Bradley Buecker, it aired on Fox in the United States on January 24, 2013.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bubble Butt</span> 2013 single by Major Lazer featuring Bruno Mars, Tyga and Mystic

"Bubble Butt" is a song by American electronic dance music trio Major Lazer featuring American singer-songwriter Bruno Mars and American rappers Tyga and Mystic from the trio's second studio album, Free the Universe (2013). It was written by Major Lazer members Diplo and Switch alongside the featured artists. The production was handled by Major Lazer and Valentino Khan. The remix was released as the album's fourth single on May 24, 2013, for digital download and appears on the album's extended version. The remix version also features verses from American rapper 2 Chainz. Musically, it is an electronic dance, hip hop, and dancehall track with lyrics implying that girls twerk and show off their giant buttocks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anaconda (song)</span> 2014 single by Nicki Minaj

"Anaconda" is a song by rapper Nicki Minaj. It was released on August 4, 2014, by Young Money, Cash Money, and Republic as the second single from her third studio album, The Pinkprint (2014). The song was produced by Polow da Don, DJ Spydr, and Da Internz, and prominently samples "Baby Got Back" (1992) by Sir Mix-a-Lot. The song's title comes from the sampled line "my anaconda don't want none unless you've got buns, hun". It peaked at number two on the US Billboard Hot 100, becoming Minaj's highest-charting single at the time. The song also peaked within the top ten in Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand and the United Kingdom, top forty in Austria, France and Portugal and top fifty in Czech Republic.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Flava in Ya Ear</span> 1994 single by Craig Mack

"Flava in Ya Ear" is a song by American rapper Craig Mack. It was released as the lead single from his debut studio album Project: Funk da World on July 2, 1994, by Bad Boy Records and Arista Records. It was remixed with the addition of rappers The Notorious B.I.G., Rampage, LL Cool J and Busta Rhymes.

References

  1. ↑ "Songs Similar to Baby Got Back by Sir Mix-A-Lot". Chosic. Retrieved 2025-01-13.
  2. ↑ "Baby Got Back Songfacts". Songfacts. Archived from the original on 19 April 2007. Retrieved 2007-04-05.
  3. ↑ Winistorfer, Andrew (2008-09-29). "VH1's 100 Greatest Hip-Hop Songs". Prefixmag . Retrieved 2011-10-16.
  4. 1 2 "The 500 Best Pop Songs: Staff List". Billboard . 19 October 2023. Retrieved 20 October 2023.
  5. ↑ "'And I Cannot Lie': The Oral History of Sir Mix-a-Lot's 'Baby Got Back' Video". 19 December 2013.
  6. ↑ "Spuds McKenzie". youtube.com. August 20, 2016. Archived from the original on 2021-12-12. Retrieved November 30, 2016.
  7. ↑ "OMG, meet the real 'Becky' from 'Baby Got Back'". usatoday.com. Retrieved November 30, 2016.
  8. ↑ Keizer, Brian (September 1992). "Big Buts". Spin . 8 (6): 87–88.
  9. ↑ "Sir Mix-A-Lot's 'Baby Got Back' Was About". Billboard . 13 November 2014.
  10. ↑ Flick, Larry (February 29, 1992). "Single Reviews" (PDF). Billboard . p. 72. Retrieved October 24, 2020.
  11. ↑ Considine, J.D. (1992). "Are today's rock stars just troublemakers or voices of discontent?". The Baltimore Sun . – via Edmonton Journal . (November 11, 1992).
  12. ↑ Bernard, James (March 13, 1992). "Mack Daddy". Entertainment Weekly . Retrieved November 11, 2020.
  13. ↑ Push (January 25, 1992). "Albums". Melody Maker . p. 28. Retrieved February 21, 2023.
  14. ↑ Coleman, Mark (September 30, 2007). "Sir Mix-A-Lot: Mack Daddy". Rolling Stone . Archived from the original on September 30, 2007.
  15. ↑ Smith, Tony L. (October 21, 2020). "Every No. 1 song of the 1990s ranked from worst to best". Cleveland.com . Retrieved February 5, 2021.
  16. ↑ The Bechdel Test, and Other Media Representation Tests, Explained Archived 2018-04-18 at the Wayback Machine , by Nick Douglas, at Lifehacker ; published October 10, 2017; retrieved April 17, 2018
  17. ↑ This Bechdel Test Simulator Shows How Easy It Is to Predict Who Makes Sexist Movies (Men) Archived 2017-10-17 at the Wayback Machine , by Kara Brown, at Jezebel ; published January 15, 2016; retrieved April 17, 2018
  18. ↑ Gomez Maureira, M.A.; Rombout, L.E. (2015). "Sonifying Gender Representation in Film". In Chorianopoulos, Konstantinos (ed.). Entertainment Computing – ICEC 2015: 14th International Conference, ICEC 2015, Trondheim, Norway, September 29 – October 2, 2015, Proceedings. Springer. p. 546. ISBN   9783319245898.
  19. ↑ Doyle, Ella; Lawrence, India; Taylor, Henrietta; Manning, James; Kryza, Andy; Lukowski, Andrzej; Levine, Nick; Waywell, Chris (July 28, 2023). "The 100 Best Party Songs Ever Made". Time Out . Retrieved August 8, 2024.
  20. ↑ "Sir Mix-A-Lot – Baby Got Back". ARIA Top 50 Singles.
  21. ↑ Canadian peak
  22. ↑ "Sir Mix-A-Lot – Baby Got Back" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts.
  23. ↑ "Nederlandse Top 40 – Sir Mix-A-Lot" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40.
  24. ↑ "Sir Mix-A-Lot – Baby Got Back" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
  25. ↑ "Sir Mix-A-Lot – Baby Got Back". Top 40 Singles.
  26. ↑ "Sir Mix-A-Lot – Baby Got Back". Swiss Singles Chart.
  27. ↑ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
  28. ↑ "Top 60 Dance Singles" (PDF). Music Week . August 8, 1992. p. 20. Retrieved September 29, 2020.
  29. ↑ "Sir Mix-a-Lot Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
  30. ↑ "Sir Mix-a-Lot Chart History (Dance Club Songs)". Billboard.
  31. ↑ "Sir Mix-a-Lot Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard.
  32. 1 2 "1992 ARIA Singles Chart". ARIA. Archived from the original on October 6, 2017. Retrieved April 4, 2020.
  33. ↑ "End of Year Charts 1992". Recorded Music NZ . Retrieved April 4, 2020.
  34. ↑ "Billboard Hot 100 – 1992". Archived from the original on 2009-07-08. Retrieved 2009-09-15.
  35. ↑ "Billboard Hot 100 Decade-End 1990–1999" (PDF). Retrieved May 20, 2018.
  36. ↑ "Billboard Hot 100 60th Anniversary Interactive Chart". Billboard. Retrieved 10 December 2018.
  37. ↑ "British single certifications – Sir Mix-A-Lot – Baby Got Back". British Phonographic Industry . Retrieved April 4, 2020.
  38. ↑ "American single certifications – Sir Mix-A-Lot – Baby Got Back". Recording Industry Association of America.
  39. ↑ "American single certifications – Sir Mix-A-Lot – Baby Got Back". Recording Industry Association of America.
  40. ↑ "Chart: Digital Songs" (PDF). Nielsen Soundscan. June 23, 2016. Retrieved November 8, 2021.
  41. ↑ Lewis, Sophie, "Sarah Palin raps 'Baby Got Back' while dressed as a bear, shocking 'The Masked Singer' viewers", cbsnews.com , March 12, 2020. Retrieved 20-11-27.
  42. ↑ Lexington (columnist), "The end of the embarrassment", The Economist , November 26, 2020. Retrieved 20-11-27.
  43. ↑ Doctorow, Cory (2005-10-15). "Nerd folksinger covers Baby Got Back". Boing Boing . Retrieved 2013-01-27.
  44. ↑ Eakin, Marah (2013-01-18). "Jonathan Coulton says Glee ripped off his cover of "Baby Got Back"". The A.V. Club . Retrieved 2013-01-27.
  45. 1 2 Landau, Elizabeth (2013-01-26). "Singer alleges 'Glee' ripped off his cover song". CNN . Retrieved 2013-01-27.
  46. ↑ Cantalano, Michele (2013-01-27). "Jonathan Coulton vs. Glee: It's About the Ethics". Forbes . Retrieved 2013-01-27.
  47. ↑ Lorre, Rose Maura (7 January 2014). "Jonathan Coulton on Seeing His Glee Flap Play out on The Good Wife". Vulture. New York. Retrieved 17 July 2023.
  48. ↑ Sir Mix-a-Lot; Caramanica, Jon (October 2000). "Still Bumpin'". Vibe . 8 (8): 82.
  49. ↑ Aubry, Erin J. (2003). "The butt: its politics, its profanity, its power". In Edut, Ophira (ed.). Body outlaws: rewriting the rules of beauty and body image (2nd ed.). Seal Press. p.  30. ISBN   1-58005-108-1.
  50. ↑ "Sir Mix-A-Lot on Nicki Minaj's 'Anaconda,' Booty Fever & New Music". Billboard. September 12, 2014. Retrieved September 25, 2015.
  51. ↑ Nigel, Lezama (March 2019). "Status, Votive Luxury, and Labour: The Female Rapper's Delight". Fashion Studies. 2 (1): 1–23. Retrieved 18 August 2020.
  1. ↑ The CD maxi-single credits Rubin as Executive Producer

Further reading

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.