Issue date: 9/16/03 Section: Culture

Media Credit: Courtesy of Artist Direct Records nRead the full-length interview on the Web at www.dailylobo.com

After a six-year hiatus, Sir Mix-a-Lot, the emcee best known for his 1992 hit "Baby Got Back," is back with a new record, Daddy's Home released Sept. 9.

In an interview with the Daily Lobo, Mix shared his thoughts on the music industry, downloading music and diverse perspectives on his new record.

Daily Lobo :Why has there been such a long period between this album and the last?

Sir Mix-a-Lot: The record industry. Everything's wrong with the record industry right now. You got guys paying $20 for wack-ass CD's with one song, you got the industry talking about suing kids for downloading music, you got these artists with Web sites and they charge you to watch the very same videos you can watch for free on MTV.

It just ass-backwards. The whole business is dying and I think that's beautiful, let it die. If it dies it's going to help the musicians get their product out there because the fans are so weaned on the MTV titty that they're scared to look elsewhere for product. I'm not dissing MTV, I'm just saying there needs to be some other things out there.

DL: So you don't object to people downloading your music?

SM: Well, I don't want to go broke because of it. But if a guy is going to spend $20 potentially on my CD and he's downloading my stuff, I don't mind. I'm giving a lot of stuff away free on my site, (www.sirmixalot.info). You can check out any song you want, you can look at any video you want and that's what the Internet should be about.

DL: Your flow has changed over the years...

SM: Oh, most definitely. I think a lot of people almost expected me to do a wack-ass record. They're probably saying, "Oh, this cat's been in the game for a while, he's probably gonna rap the same way he did when he did 'Baby Got Back.'"

A lot of old school artists do that, they have a tendency to say "well, this is my sound." That's not your sound! That's just all that was available at that time. If you truly love hip-hop and you truly love music, you stay in touch with it.

I tour. I'm not this guy who sits back in house in Beverly Hills trying to tell the world what they like. I touch hands and talk to people and do shows in little hole-in-the-wall clubs intentionally because I really want to get out and see what cats want to hear.

Continued...

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