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Seattle hip-hop legend Sir Mix-A-Lot, on screen at right, speaks via video call to attendees at Thursday’s Black Tech Night at the M5 Creative Building at Seattle Center. (GeekWire Photo / Kurt Schlosser)
“I like large language models and I cannot lie …”
Legendary Seattle rapper Sir Mix-A-Lot probably isn’t ready to sub AI references in for big butts in his 1992 hit song “Baby Got Back,” but in 2024, it’s tough to escape the conversation around music’s changing landscape.
Mix-A-Lot, or Anthony Ray from way back in the day, was the featured guest Thursday evening at the latest Black Tech Night gathering from Seattle’s Office of Economic Development in partnership with SeaCiti, a program of the Washington Technology Industry Association.
Originally scheduled to appear in person, a scheduling mix-up forced Mix-A-Lot to instead join via video chat for the event at the new M5 Creative Building in Seattle Center. Kiesha Garrison, a professional MC, Microsoft veteran and founder of Hey, Black Seattle!, deftly pivoted in person to lead a discussion with a 2D image about Mix-A-Lot’s musical past and present, his love of gadgets and tinkering, AI, and more.
From his home studio, Mix-A-Lot sat in front of a wall of gold and platinum records and other awards, including his Grammy for Best Rap Solo Performance in 1993 for “Baby Got Back.” Along with stories of growing up in Seattle’s projects, selling tapes out of a window, Mix-A-Lot sprinkled in lessons for the young entrepreneurs and aspiring business owners in the room.
“When I first got into it, it wasn’t about money, it was just lying, trying to tell people I was bigger than I actually was,” Mix-A-Lot said. “And once I actually became that, I felt almost satisfied. But you should never be satisfied in any business, because once you’re satisfied, you stop.”
A self-professed and unabashed tech nerd, Mix-A-Lot hasn’t stopped creating. He shared his love for refurbishing musical equipment and building custom amplifiers.
“I got into music because of technology,” he said, referencing the German electronic band Kraftwerk. “I wanted to learn everything about drum machines, synthesizers … I couldn’t afford it, but I knew how to fix it.”
At one point, Mix-A-Lot picked up his laptop and turned it around for an impromptu tour of his studio full of keyboards and other devices, and the workshop where he builds equipment. He opened a garage door to reveal a Porsche and a Lamborghini — more trappings of his lengthy success in the music business.
“That’s dope. I’ve never hosted an episode of ‘Cribs’ before,” Garrison said, drawing a big laugh from a crowd familiar with the MTV home-tour series.
Hey, Black Seattle! founder Kiesha Garrison, left, leads a discussion with musician Sir Mix-A-Lot, via video call, during Black Tech Night on Thursday in Seattle. (GeekWire Photo / Kurt Schlosser)
Mix-A-Lot has previously discussed music and technology, including in 2016, when he was working with a team of Amazon engineers to create new uses for the Alexa voice service and music studio equipment. Back in 2011, he hooked up with Seattle startup Giant Thinkwell to create a social media game called Mix-N-Match.
But for all his love of tech, Mix-A-Lot did share what scares him these days — “AI,” he said.
The rapid rise of generative AI technology and how it will impact creativity, the arts, and livelihoods has been top of mind for artists of all persuasions. But for a guy raised on drum machines, Mix-A-Lot is less worried about AI being used as a tool to enhance lyrical and sound production. His concern is a bit more dystopian.
“It’s not that I don’t think [AI] is a good thing, but nobody’s thinking about the evil it can do,” he said, mentioning such fears as AI-controlled missiles or manipulated voice programs that could be used to empty a person’s bank account.
He’s also afraid of what he called “consolidated power” in tech.
“When I look at how powerful Elon Musk is, how powerful Jeff Bezos is … I’m not saying they’re going to do anything wrong, but if they did, what’re you going to do to stop it? Nothing,” Mix-A-Lot said. “It’s not machines and technology I don’t trust. It’s man with them that I don’t trust.”
Black Tech Night is an ongoing series aimed at bringing together members of Seattle’s Black tech community and its allies. In February, a panel discussion focused on Black representation and experiences in the tech industry.
M5 Creative opened in June in the former Cascade PBS building at the corner of Mercer Street and Fifth Avenue. James Miles, the creative economy manager for the city’s Office of Economic Development, said the 40,000-square-foot space is intended to attract a mix of businesses working in film and TV production, audio, tech, gaming and more.
“It’s a creative hub that offers low cost, affordable leases to creatives in all disciplines,” Miles said. “We really want to try to grow the creative community, inspire more collaboration and build businesses.”
