Tone Loc
His gravelly voice and party anthems like 'Wild Thing' made him an unlikely but unforgettable pop culture fixture in the late 1980s.
Born 1966 (age 60)·American rapper·Birthday: March 3·Generation X
Biography
Anthony Terrell Smith, who became Tone Loc, emerged from Los Angeles with a voice that sounded like it had been marinated in gravel and good times. That distinctive rasp, paired with the irresistible, sample-heavy production of the Dust Brothers, turned him into a mainstream rap phenomenon almost overnight. His 1989 debut 'Loc-ed After Dark' was a seismic hit, driven by the sly, swaggering singles 'Wild Thing' and 'Funky Cold Medina,' which dominated radio and MTV. While his music was playful and hedonistic, his presence in the West Coast Rap All-Stars' 'We're All in the Same Gang' showed a commitment to his community during a tense era. Though his chart dominance was concentrated, Tone Loc's persona—the laid-back, charismatic everyman—secured his place as a defining voice of a specific, fun-loving moment in hip-hop history, and he later lent that voice to animated films and TV with ease.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Tone was born in 1966, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Tone Was Born
The biggest hits of 1966
#1 Movie
The Bible: In the Beginning
Best Picture
A Man for All Seasons
#1 TV Show
Bonanza
Tone's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1966Born
Star Trek premieres on television
Gas: $0.32/galHome: $14,200Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"The Ballad of the Green Berets" — SSgt Barry SadlerBest Picture: A Man for All Seasons
1971Started school
Voting age lowered to 18 in the US
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $18,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Joy to the World" — Three Dog NightBest Picture: The French Connection
1979Became a teenager
Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $37,900Min wage: $2.90/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"My Sharona" — The KnackBest Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
1982Could drive
Michael Jackson releases Thriller
Gas: $1.22/galHome: $55,200Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Physical" — Olivia Newton-JohnBest Picture: Gandhi
1984Could vote
Apple Macintosh introduced
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $59,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"When Doves Cry" — PrinceBest Picture: Amadeus
1987Turned 21
Black Monday stock market crash
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $72,400Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Walk Like an Egyptian" — The BanglesBest Picture: The Last Emperor
1996Turned 30
Dolly the sheep cloned
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $99,700Min wage: $4.75/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Macarena" — Los del RioBest Picture: The English Patient
2006Turned 40
Twitter launches; Pluto reclassified as dwarf planet
Gas: $2.59/galHome: $174,700Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Bad Day" — Daniel PowterBest Picture: The Departed
2016Turned 50
Donald Trump elected president; Brexit vote
Gas: $2.14/galHome: $181,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Love Yourself" — Justin BieberBest Picture: Moonlight
2026Turned 60
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- His single 'Wild Thing' reached No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1989, becoming one of the first rap songs to achieve such massive crossover success.
- Received a Grammy nomination for Best Rap Performance for 'Funky Cold Medina' in 1990.
- His debut album 'Loc-ed After Dark' was the first rap album to reach No. 1 on the Billboard Pop Albums chart.
- Was a featured artist on the 1990 all-star rap single 'We're All in the Same Gang,' aimed at curbing gang violence in Los Angeles.
Did You Know?
His stage name 'Tone Loc' is derived from his childhood nickname 'Tony' and his reputation for being 'loc' (short for loco).
He worked as a stand-up comedian and a security guard before his music career took off.
The famous saxophone riff in 'Wild Thing' is sampled from Van Halen's 'Jamie's Cryin'.
He voiced the character of the Rhino in the animated film 'The Wild' and has made several voice acting appearances in 'King of the Hill'.
“I'm not a rapper, I'm a personality that raps.”
