Baby Got Back – Sir Mix-A-Lot | Top 40 Chart Performance, Story and Song Meaning
Chart Performance: Pop (#1 for 5 weeks) & R&B (#27); 1992
Story Behind The Song By Ed Osborne
Nirvana’s breakthrough success in 1992 put Seattle on the map as the newest hotbed of rock ‘n’ roll. Perhaps Sir Mix-A-Lot might have done the same for rap, except that – unlike Nirvana’s hard hitting Nevermind and its showcase single Smells Like Teen Spirit – much of his Mack Daddy album, as evidenced in Baby Got Back, addressed the non-serious side of life.
Mix got the inspiration for Baby while shooting a video for his 1990 single, My Hooptie. Finding the bodacious extras on the set decidedly desirable, Mix composed his tribute to the female posterior.
At first, radio and MTV avoided Baby because of its subject matter, yet, in the end, gave in to its undeniable popularity. Baby Got Back closed out 1992 as the #4 chart hit of the year, and brought Mix a Grammy for Best Rap Solo Performance.
Ironically, Baby Got Back‘s tongue-in-cheek take on women had more serious consequences, drawing criticism from those who found it sexist and demeaning to women.
This content and all Song Meaning articles were created and written by Top 40 Contributing Editor Ed Osborne. © 2024 Ed Osborne. All Rights Reserved. In addition to these song meaning articles, Ed has written our “Year in Music 1960s-1990s” articles.
Produced by:
- Rick Rubin
- Sir Mix-a-Lot
Lyrics Written by:
- Sir Mix-a-Lot
Ed Osborne
Hi. I got my first record at age two and never looked back, spending a decades-long career in radio and the music business. Even after years of reading about and listening to all types of music, I am still fascinated by it. Apart from that, I’m endlessly intrigued by art, nature, and the inner lives of people (and dogs).