Baby Got Back
Encyclopedia
"Baby Got Back" is a 1992
Number One single by hip hop artist
Sir Mix-a-Lot
, from his album Mack Daddy
. The song samples the 1986 electro
single "Technicolor" by Channel One
. The song's title originates from an urban slang term used to express a favorable opinion about a woman's (baby) buttocks (back). "Baby got back" can be rephrased as "She has a big butt".
At the time of its original release, the song caused controversy
with its outspoken and blatantly sexual lyrics about women, as well as specific and objectionable references to the female anatomy. The video was briefly banned by MTV
. Baby Got Back has remained popular and even anthemic for almost 20 years since it was originally featured on the album Mack Daddy
in 1992.
In 2008, it was ranked number 17 on VH1
's 100 Greatest Songs of Hip Hop.
Also brought to the forefront of pop culture by this song is what was considered to be a generally accepted white standard of beauty — a skinny body lacking in voluptuous curves. The song starts with a conversation between two (presumably) thin, white valley girl
s. In the prelude that opens the song, one girl remarks to her friend, "Oh, my God, Becky, look at her butt! It is so big [...] She's just so ... black!" following by Sir Mix-a-Lot representing the African-American subculture's view: "You other brothers can't deny" and "Take the average black man and ask him..."
Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance
. For almost two decades following the song's release on the album Mack Daddy
, it has continued to appear in many movies, shows, music videos, and even commercials, see Covers and Parodies for more information. It was number 6 on VH1
's Greatest Songs of the '90s. It was number 1 on VH1
's Greatest One Hit Wonders of the '90s.
records: Motor Booty Affair
. Black men like butts. That's the bottom line." The song is part of a tradition of 1970s-90s African-American music celebrating the female behind, including "Da Butt," "Rump Shaker
," and "Shake Your Groove Thing
."
Parodies include "Table Be Round", a parody by Sir Mix-A-Lot himself about King Arthur and the Round Table performed for the television program Robot Chicken
. Spoken word
duo Athens Boys Choir
has a parody of the song on their album Rhapsody in T called "Tranny Got Pack." An alternate version was performed at a 2006 Washington Mutual
retreat in Hawaii. The song was spoofed in an episode of In Living Color
, "Baby Got Snacks," featuring Jamie Foxx
as the lead singer. There was also a 2009 Burger King
commercial promoting SpongeBob SquarePants
Kid's Meal toys, which used a parody called "I Like Square Butts". Another parody includes "Baby Likes Fat" which is used in The Simpsons
episode Treehouse of Horror XVII
.
In the TV show Friends
, Rachel Green
sang the song to a baby in the Season 9 episode "The One with Ross's Inappropriate Song" and the encounter with Rachel's sister Amy in "The One With Rachel's Other Sister."
1992 in music
This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1992.-January–February:*January 11**Nirvana's Nevermind album goes to #1 in the US Billboard 200 chart, establishing the widespread popularity of the Grunge movement of the 1990s....
Number One single by hip hop artist
Hip hop music
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
Sir Mix-a-Lot
Sir Mix-a-Lot
Anthony Ray , better known by his stage name Sir Mix-a-Lot, is an emcee and producer based in Seattle, Washington. The founder of the Nastymix record label, he debuted in 1988 with Swass...
, from his album Mack Daddy
Mack Daddy
Mack Daddy is the third album by Sir Mix-a-Lot, and his first album with a Parental Advisory label. It was released on February 4, 1992, on Def American Recordings...
. The song samples the 1986 electro
Electro (music)
Electro is a genre of electronic dance music directly influenced by the use of TR-808 drum machines, Moog keytar synthesizers and funk sampling...
single "Technicolor" by Channel One
Juan Atkins
Juan Atkins is an American musician. He is widely credited as the originator of techno music, specifically Detroit techno along with Derrick May and Kevin Saunderson...
. The song's title originates from an urban slang term used to express a favorable opinion about a woman's (baby) buttocks (back). "Baby got back" can be rephrased as "She has a big butt".
At the time of its original release, the song caused controversy
Controversy
Controversy is a state of prolonged public dispute or debate, usually concerning a matter of opinion. The word was coined from the Latin controversia, as a composite of controversus – "turned in an opposite direction," from contra – "against" – and vertere – to turn, or versus , hence, "to turn...
with its outspoken and blatantly sexual lyrics about women, as well as specific and objectionable references to the female anatomy. The video was briefly banned by MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
. Baby Got Back has remained popular and even anthemic for almost 20 years since it was originally featured on the album Mack Daddy
Mack Daddy
Mack Daddy is the third album by Sir Mix-a-Lot, and his first album with a Parental Advisory label. It was released on February 4, 1992, on Def American Recordings...
in 1992.
In 2008, it was ranked number 17 on VH1
VH1
VH1 or Vh1 is an American cable television network based in New York City. Launched on January 1, 1985 in the old space of Turner Broadcasting's short-lived Cable Music Channel, the original purpose of the channel was to build on the success of MTV by playing music videos, but targeting a slightly...
's 100 Greatest Songs of Hip Hop.
Synopsis
The first verse begins, "I like big butts and I cannot lie...", and most of the song is about being attracted to big butts. The second and third verse challenge mainstream norms of beauty: "I ain't talkin' bout Playboy. Cuz silicon parts are made for toys." and "So Cosmo says you're fat / Well I ain't down with that!". Sir Mix-a-Lot commented in a 1992 interview: "The song doesn't just say I like large butts, you know? The song is talking about women who damn near kill themselves to try to look like these beanpole models that you see in Vogue magazine." He explains that most women respond positively to the song's message, especially black women: "They all say, 'About time.'"Also brought to the forefront of pop culture by this song is what was considered to be a generally accepted white standard of beauty — a skinny body lacking in voluptuous curves. The song starts with a conversation between two (presumably) thin, white valley girl
Valley girl
Valley Girl is a stereotype leveled at a socio-economic and ethnic class of American women who can be described as colloquial English-speaking and materialistic...
s. In the prelude that opens the song, one girl remarks to her friend, "Oh, my God, Becky, look at her butt! It is so big [...] She's just so ... black!" following by Sir Mix-a-Lot representing the African-American subculture's view: "You other brothers can't deny" and "Take the average black man and ask him..."
Chart performance and awards
Sir Mix-a-Lot's best known song, "Baby Got Back" reached number 1 on the United States Billboard Hot 100 chart for five weeks in the summer of 1992, and won a 19931993 in music
This is a summary of significant events in music in 1993.-January–February:*January 8 – The U.S. Postal Service issues an Elvis Presley stamp. The design was voted on in February 1992....
Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance
Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance
The Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance was awarded from 1991 to 2011, alongside the Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group. Previously a single award was presented for Best Rap Performance....
. For almost two decades following the song's release on the album Mack Daddy
Mack Daddy
Mack Daddy is the third album by Sir Mix-a-Lot, and his first album with a Parental Advisory label. It was released on February 4, 1992, on Def American Recordings...
, it has continued to appear in many movies, shows, music videos, and even commercials, see Covers and Parodies for more information. It was number 6 on VH1
VH1
VH1 or Vh1 is an American cable television network based in New York City. Launched on January 1, 1985 in the old space of Turner Broadcasting's short-lived Cable Music Channel, the original purpose of the channel was to build on the success of MTV by playing music videos, but targeting a slightly...
's Greatest Songs of the '90s. It was number 1 on VH1
VH1
VH1 or Vh1 is an American cable television network based in New York City. Launched on January 1, 1985 in the old space of Turner Broadcasting's short-lived Cable Music Channel, the original purpose of the channel was to build on the success of MTV by playing music videos, but targeting a slightly...
's Greatest One Hit Wonders of the '90s.
Weekly charts
| Chart (1992–93) | Position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard Hot 100 | 1 |
| US R&B/Hip-Hop Songs | 27 |
| US Dance/Club Play Songs | 5 |
Year-end charts
| Chart (1992) | Position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard Hot 100 | 2 |
Related songs
In a 2000 interview, Sir Mix-a-Lot reflected: "There's always butt songs. Hell, I got the idea sitting up here listing to old ParliamentParliament (band)
Parliament was a funk band most prominent during the 1970s. It and its sister act Funkadelic, both led by George Clinton, began the funk music culture of that decade.-History:...
records: Motor Booty Affair
Motor Booty Affair
Motor Booty Affair is an album by funk band Parliament. Released in late 1978, it contains two of the group's most popular tracks, "Rumpofsteelskin" and "Aqua Boogie " which went to number one on the Billboard Black Singles chart. The album title refers to the music coming out of "Motor town"...
. Black men like butts. That's the bottom line." The song is part of a tradition of 1970s-90s African-American music celebrating the female behind, including "Da Butt," "Rump Shaker
Rump Shaker (song)
"Rump Shaker" is a 1992 rap single by hip-hop group Wreckx-N-Effect, featuring Teddy Riley from their 1992 album Hard or Smooth.Due to the massive success of Whitney Houston's I Will Always Love You, "Rump Shaker" would only make it to No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100, and No. 2 on the Hot...
," and "Shake Your Groove Thing
Shake Your Groove Thing
"Shake Your Groove Thing" is a song by disco duo Peaches & Herb. It reached #2 for four weeks on the Billboard Disco chart in 1978. The single reached #5 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #4 on the Billboard R&B Chart.-In pop culture:...
."
Parodies include "Table Be Round", a parody by Sir Mix-A-Lot himself about King Arthur and the Round Table performed for the television program Robot Chicken
Robot Chicken
Robot Chicken is an American stop motion animated television series created and executive produced by Seth Green and Matthew Senreich along with co-head writers Douglas Goldstein and Tom Root. Green provides many voices for the show...
. Spoken word
Spoken word
Spoken word is a form of poetry that often uses alliterated prose or verse and occasionally uses metered verse to express social commentary. Traditionally it is in the first person, is from the poet’s point of view and is themed in current events....
duo Athens Boys Choir
Athens Boys Choir
Athens Boys Choir is a transgender spoken word performer based in Athens, Georgia. Athens Boys Choir signed with Daemon Records in 2004 and subsequently released the debut album Rhapsody in T...
has a parody of the song on their album Rhapsody in T called "Tranny Got Pack." An alternate version was performed at a 2006 Washington Mutual
Washington Mutual
Washington Mutual, Inc. , abbreviated to WaMu, was a savings bank holding company and the former owner of Washington Mutual Bank, which was the United States' largest savings and loan association until its collapse in 2008....
retreat in Hawaii. The song was spoofed in an episode of In Living Color
In Living Color
In Living Color is an American sketch comedy television series, which originally ran on the Fox Network from April 15, 1990 to May 19, 1994. Brothers Keenen and Damon Wayans created, wrote, and starred in the program. The show was produced by Ivory Way Productions in association with 20th Century...
, "Baby Got Snacks," featuring Jamie Foxx
Jamie Foxx
Eric Marlon Bishop , professionally known as Jamie Foxx, is an American actor, singer-songwriter, stand-up comedian, and talk radio host. As an actor, his work in the film Ray earned him the Academy Award and BAFTA Award for Best Actor as well as the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a...
as the lead singer. There was also a 2009 Burger King
Burger King
Burger King, often abbreviated as BK, is a global chain of hamburger fast food restaurants headquartered in unincorporated Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. The company began in 1953 as Insta-Burger King, a Jacksonville, Florida-based restaurant chain...
commercial promoting SpongeBob SquarePants
SpongeBob SquarePants
SpongeBob SquarePants is an American animated television series, created by marine biologist and animator Stephen Hillenburg. Much of the series centers on the exploits and adventures of the title character and his various friends in the underwater city of "Bikini Bottom"...
Kid's Meal toys, which used a parody called "I Like Square Butts". Another parody includes "Baby Likes Fat" which is used in The Simpsons
The Simpsons
The Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
episode Treehouse of Horror XVII
Treehouse of Horror XVII
"Treehouse of Horror XVII" is the fourth episode of The Simpsons eighteenth season, and the seventeenth Treehouse of Horror episode. In "Married to the Blob", Homer eats green extraterrestrial goo and morphs into a rampaging blob with an insatiable appetite; in "You Gotta Know When to Golem", Bart...
.
In the TV show Friends
Friends
Friends is an American sitcom created by David Crane and Marta Kauffman, which aired on NBC from September 22, 1994 to May 6, 2004. The series revolves around a group of friends in Manhattan. The series was produced by Bright/Kauffman/Crane Productions, in association with Warner Bros. Television...
, Rachel Green
Rachel Green
Rachel Karen Green is a fictional character on the popular U.S. television sitcom Friends, portrayed by Jennifer Aniston. Aniston received an Emmy Award, a Screen Actors Guild Award, and a Golden Globe for her performances.-Background:...
sang the song to a baby in the Season 9 episode "The One with Ross's Inappropriate Song" and the encounter with Rachel's sister Amy in "The One With Rachel's Other Sister."