Happy Birthday to classic hip-hop performer Tone Lōc, born on March 3, 1966.Few artists have had the kind of instant impact that Tone Lōc did when he burst onto the scene in the late 1980s. With his unmistakable raspy voice and laid-back West Coast swagger, the Los Angeles-born rapper (born Anthony Terrell Smith) carved out a place in hip-hop history with just a handful of releases—but they were enough to make him a household name.
In 1989, Tone Lōc dropped his debut album, Lōc-ed After Dark, and the music world took notice. Propelled by the massive crossover hits “Wild Thing” and “Funky Cold Medina,” both of which featured production from the legendary Young MC, the album went double platinum and made him one of the first rappers to reach such commercial success. His signature gravelly delivery and party-ready anthems were inescapable, earning him a spot among the biggest names of the era.
The 1991 follow up album Cool Hand Lōc failed to capture the same magic as its predecessor, and Loc pivoted to acting, lending his distinctive voice to animated projects and appearing in films like Ace Ventura: Pet Detective and Poetic Justice.
Though his time at the top of the charts was brief, Tone Lōc remains a memorable figure in hip-hop’s golden era, with his deep, unmistakable voice and party-starter hits still spinning at throwback events and classic radio stations decades later. Happy Birthday!
