Tone Loc
Born: March 3, 1966
Birthplace: Los Angeles, CA
Zodiac Sign: Pisces
Anthony Terrell Smith, aka Tone Lōc (/toʊn loʊk/), is an American actor, rapper, voice actor, and producer. He is known for his raspy voice, his hit songs "Wild Thing" and "Funky Cold Medina," for which he was nominated for a Grammy Award, and for being featured in "We're All in the Same Gang," a collaborative single by the West Coast Rap All-Stars.
Tone Lōc's debut album, Lōc-ed After Dark, was released in January 1989. The video for the first single, "Wild Thing," became a staple on MTV in the US. The song rose to No. 2 on the US Hot 100 and the top twenty in Australia. The second single, "Funky Cold Medina," also became a hit. It reached the top 5 in the US, peaking at No. 3; the top ten in Australia; and the top twenty in the UK.
Lōc-ed After Dark reached No. 1 in the US. Since its release, it has been certified 2x platinum there.
Tone Lōc's second album Cool Hand Lōc was released in November 1991. The album's first single was "All Through the Night," which found moderate success, reaching #80 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #16 on the Rap Songs chart. It received frequent airplay on MTV and BET.
Tone Lōc's song "Ace Is in the House" (which samples the Beastie Boys' song "No Sleep till Brooklyn") is featured in the films Ace Ventura: Pet Detective (1994) and Ace Ventura Jr: Pet Detective (2009).
He provided vocals for Fefe Dobson for the track "Rock It 'Til You Drop It" on her first album, 2003's Fefe Dobson.
Tone Lōc also voiced "Fūd Wrapper," the animatronic show Food Rocks host. This was played at Epcot from 1994 to 2004. In this latter role, he sang "Always Read the Wrapper," a parody of his second hit single, "Funky Cold Medina."
He appeared as Albert in Touched by an Angel, season 2, episode 8, aired November 11, 1995.
Tone Lōc has performed in several feature films, including Poetic Justice, Blank Check, and Posse. As a voice actor, Tone Lōc has voiced characters in several television cartoon series, such as King of the Hill and C-Bear and Jamal, and was featured in the animated film Bébé's Kids, playing the wise-cracking baby Pee Wee. He voiced Lou the Goanna in the 1992 film FernGully: The Last Rainforest. He has also provided his signature voice for episodes of Uncle Grandpa and Chowder, both airing on Cartoon Network.
Currently, he is on the list of performers on the I Love the 90s tour, which has performed worldwide from April 2016 to the present and has featured appearances on the I Love the 90s: The Party Continues time from July 2017 to September 2017. Both terms invite attendees to reminisce about the trend-setting decade with some of the most iconic figures in rap, hip-hop, and R&B.