Booking Tone Loc

Tone Loc Biography

Tone Loc was born Anthony Terrell Smith in 1966 in Los Angeles, California. As a young man, Tone Loc was a member of the notorious street gang, the Crips. Thankfully, he realized his potential as a musician and turned his life around, shifting his focus to rap music instead of street crime.

Tone Loc’s debut album, Loc-ed After Dark, was released in 1989 to instant success, rising to the top of the charts. The follow-up, Cool Hand Loc (1991) was equally successful, the singles “Wild Thing” and “Funky Cold Medina” became pop culture sensations, also rising to the top of the charts and earning Tone Loc Grammy nominations for Best New Artist and Best Rap Solo Performance. Additional recognitions included a nomination for an American Music Award (for Favorite Rap/Hip Hop Artist and Favorite Rap/Hip Hop Album,) and an MTV Video Music Award for “Wild Thing,” for Best Rap Video. 

In addition to his achievements in music, Tone Loc has appeared in a number of films, including: The Adventures of Ford Fairlane (1990), The Return of Superfly (1990), Posse (1993), Poetic Justice (1993), Car 54, Where Are You? (1994), Ace Ventura: Pet Detective (1994), Blank Check (1994), Heat (1995), Spy Hard (1996), Freedom Strike (1998), Whispers: An Elephant’s Tale (2000), and Storm Watch (2002.) Tone Loc has also appeared on the television shows: Roc (1992-1994), NewsRadio (1995), Living Single (1996),  Early Edition (1999), The District (2002), Static Shock (2002), King of the Hill (2005), and Yes, Dear (2005.)