Tone Loc, born Anthony Terrell Smith in 1966, is an American rapper, actor, and producer. He is best known for his deep, gravelly voice and his hit songs “Wild Thing” and “Funky Cold Medina,” which were both released in 1989 and became instant classics.
Tone Loc began his career as a rapper in the mid-1980s, performing with the group “Three Shades of Brown” before going solo. His big break came in 1988 when he appeared on the movie “Colors” soundtrack, performing the song “Wild Thing,” which became a major hit and reached #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
The following year, Tone Loc released his debut album “Lōc-ed After Dark,” which included “Wild Thing” and “Funky Cold Medina,” as well as other popular tracks like “I Got It Goin’ On” and “Loc’in on the Shaw.” The album was a massive success, selling over three million copies and making Tone Loc one of the biggest stars of the late 1980s.
Tone Loc’s unique voice and laid-back delivery, combined with his humorous lyrics and catchy beats, made him a fan favorite and helped him stand out in a crowded field of rappers. He was also one of the first rappers to achieve mainstream success with a party-friendly, danceable sound that appealed to a wide audience.
Despite his early success, Tone Loc’s career began to slow down in the early 1990s. He released a second album, “Cool Hand Lōc,” in 1991, which featured a cover of Bob Dylan’s “Lay Lady Lay,” but it failed to match the success of his debut. He also began to focus more on acting, appearing in several movies and television shows, including “Poetic Justice” and “Ace Ventura: Pet Detective.”
In the years that followed, Tone Loc continued to release music sporadically, but he never achieved the same level of success as he did in the late 1980s. He also continued to act, appearing in movies like “Heat” and “Titan A.E.,” as well as television shows like “Reno 911!” and “King of the Hill.”
Despite his ups and downs in the music industry, Tone Loc remains an important figure in the history of hip-hop. His unique voice, laid-back style, and party-friendly tracks helped to shape the sound of rap in the late 1980s and early 1990s, and his impact on the genre continues to be felt today.
