When Nicki Minaj sampled Sir Mix-a-Lot’s “Baby Got Back” for her hit song “Anaconda,” she put a modernized and raunchier spin on the ‘90s favorite. And it also brought up one curious question: What kind of pay-out did Sir Mix-a-Lot see from the crazy success of “Anaconda”?
The 53-year-old rapper opened up about his business arrangement with Minaj on “Oprah: Where Are They Now?”, explaining that he didn’t benefit in the way everyone assumes.
“A lot of people think, ‘Did Nicki write you a check for $1 million?’ Everybody asks me that,” he says. “No. That’s not how it happened.”
Instead, Sir Mix-a-Lot approached this particular opportunity in the same way he approaches others. “I don’t usually want a bunch of up-front money,” he says. “I just want to see how the track goes and let it blow up.”
Blow up, it did. With Sir Mix-a-Lot’s influence and Minaj’s talent ― “She’s a beast in the studio,” he says ― “Anaconda” broke the streaming video record on Vevo the day it was released, going on to top the Billboard charts, earn a Grammy nomination and go double platinum. Sir Mix-a-Lot sensed that “Anaconda” would be big from the beginning, and says that he’s grateful to Minaj for what she put into the track to make it such a success.
“I was humbled by what she did to blow that song up,” he says. “She turned the key and all of a sudden, bam! That song cracked.”
Sir Mix-a-Lot’s full interview airs on “Oprah: Where Are They Now?” on Saturday, Aug. 13, at 10 p.m. ET on OWN.
Another “Baby Got Back” reveal:
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