Swass

“Swass” is the debut album by Sir Mix-a-Lot, released on September 1, 1988, through Nastymix Records.

The story

By the time “Swass” appeared, Sir Mix-a-Lot had spent several years building a following in Seattle as a DJ at Central District community centers and as a partner in Nastymix, the label he founded with radio DJ Nes Rodriguez and businessman Ed Locke. His 1986 single “Square Dance Rap”, with its sped-up vocal, had already spread beyond the city, and it was included on the album. Ed Locke served as executive producer. The album introduced his protege Kid Sensation, who appeared as a guest on “Rippn’”.

Sound and production

Mix-a-Lot produced the album himself and recorded it at Lawson Studios in Seattle, with mastering by Ron McMaster. The record draws on electro and bass music, with drum machine programming and synthesizer lines. The tracks range from the novelty of “Buttermilk Biscuits (Keep On Square Dancin’)” to the rap-metal “Iron Man”, a reworking of the Black Sabbath song recorded with the Seattle-area heavy metal band Metal Church. “Posse on Broadway” describes a night out on Seattle’s Capitol Hill and around downtown, naming local streets and businesses, which made it unusual among rap records of the period for its focus on the Northwest.

Legacy

“Posse on Broadway”, “Rippn’” and “Iron Man” were issued as singles, and “Posse on Broadway” reached No. 70 on the Billboard Hot 100. The album was certified platinum by the RIAA in 1990, a notable result for an independent label based far from the established rap centers. After Mix-a-Lot signed with Rick Rubin’s Def American Recordings, the album was reissued on CD in 1991 with two bonus tracks. “Posse on Broadway” remains a Seattle anthem, and the hook of the title track was later sampled in the Pussycat Dolls’ international hit “Don’t Cha”, featuring Busta Rhymes. The success of “Swass” gave Nastymix the footing to sign other Northwest acts, including Kid Sensation and the Tacoma group Criminal Nation.

Released September 1, 1988. More from hip hop in 1988.