Metal Church with...Sir Mix A Lot??

I was ebay shopping for Metal Church merch and ran across a 45 promo for SMAL's Iron Man from 1989. I remember this very well back in the day, how the video was in heavy rotation for a while (I was too young to really "appreciate" it), but what floored me about the record is the statement "FEATURING METAL CHURCH" printed on the sleeve. What the F*ck, I'm thinking. So I look up the video and...my god, there they are, even Mike's vocals. Now what seems ridiculous is how Human Factor came out a couple years later with lyrics that protested this very same thing. Perhaps this was the catalyst for the title track? Maybe their enthusiasm in the video is far from what they really felt? A label twisting their arm? In any case, it tripped me out just watching it.

I can't stress how mind-blowing this was back in the day.   I bought the Swass album because of "Posse On Broadway" but when "Iron Man" came on it was rewind-replay over and over.....for years.  I also dug that the connection of Sir Mix and MC was a regional one.  That Seattle must be a hell of a place musically, right?

As a teenager who loved rap and metal this was like a gift from the music gods.  I'v always found Human Factor to be a funny record - and not just for the rap thing.  There are a bunch of dichotomies all over that disc.  And to be fair, that is part of why I love it.  Part of it's charm I guess.

I'd like to think the motivation for it was mutual respect for each others genre but let's be honest.... it was probably more an attempt to do their version of Walk This Way.  Although I believe Sir Mix gave them a ton of love in the album's liner notes.  Mentioning how big a fan he was.  And it wasn't like MC were getting a payday for appearing on an what was originally an independently produced local rap record.  

The remix on that promo is even better IMO

You can strike a match in my hand! Too black to tan! Heavy metal rebel from a one man band!


Man, that brings back memories!

I would've liked to see them add some metal guitar to a remix of "Baby's Got Back"

I forgot about this. Haha!

How embarrassing.

I want to like this. Sir Mix a Lot had some good tunes and I like Metal Church, but this is just bad.

That's bizarre. Never saw or heard of this collaboration before. Was this before or after Sir Mix-alot had his hit with 'Baby's Got Back'? Was he trying to get some of that Anthrax/Public Enemy street cred?

EDIT: The 'thrax/PE version of 'Bring the Noise' was released in 1991. This Mix-alot/Metal Church joint came out before that? Ain't that somethin'.

EDIT 2: This also came out before his one-hit-wonder 'Baby's Got Back' in 1992. Who knew Sir Mix-alot was such a pioneer?

Quote :

How embarrassing.

(shrugs) Hey, a gig's a gig. Metal Church weren't exactly rackin' up multi platinum sales, they probably needed the cash.

The soundtrack for that Emilio Estevez film "Judgement Night" was made up entirely of collabs between rap and rock/metal artists, these are my favorite songs on there:

Vexer6 wrote:

The soundtrack for that Emilio Estevez film "Judgement Night" was made up entirely of collabs between rap and rock/metal artists, these are my favorite songs on there:

The Helmet/House Of Pain song on this soundtrack is awesome!!

I don't find much bad about the collab; it made sense as they were label-mates at the time. The oddity is, if you read the lyrics to Human Factor, it's a hard irony. For the unknowing:

I just can't believe my ears, some music out these days
The human factor has diminished, in oh so many ways
Fancy footwork gets top bill and I'll put on such a show
One more Midi cable and my band is ready to go
One more moneymaker and I'm set for life
Stealing from others will make my future bright

One, make some money; two, overexpose
Sincerity is felt much more when the human factor shows
When the human factor shows

I just need a sample cause no one says it's wrong
It's so easy to rip-off using someone else's songs
Everybody wants to be a star in modern days
But if I don't have talent then I'll just get by this way
Changing programs faster than I dare to say
Musicians all make mistakes who needs them anyway?

One, make some money; two, overexpose
Sincerity is felt much more when the human factor shows
When the human factor shows

I just heard a song today I think I'll use a part
incorporate it my own way and that is just the start
I'll change the lyrics that they wrote to satisfy my needs
I wrote the book. Two easy steps. "How to succeed."

I just can't believe my ears, some music out these days
The human factor has diminished, in oh so many ways
Fancy footwork gets top bill and I'll put on such a show
One more Midi cable and my band is ready to go
One more moneymaker and I'm set for life
Stealing from others will make my future bright

One, make some money; two, overexpose
Sincerity is felt much more when the human factor shows
When the human factor shows
When the human factor shows
When the human factor shows

Not to hijack the thread too much, but this is Mix related.

In 2000 Mix recorded with the Presidents of The United States Of America and this is the outcome, or at least one song from a never released album...

Enjoy, I do!

Firstly, Judgment Night remains one of the greatest soundtracks of all time and is an album I still listen to end to end 21 years later.

But to the Metal Church/Sir Mix A Lot tune...it's a great song. I have no idea what would be embarrassing about it? It kinda bums me out some times that Mix's Swass record gets so overlooked (and Seminar too, though it's not as good as Swass) because of a silly song he did in the early 90s--a song I am sure he in no way regrets doing, considering the money. I'm sure most people are just jealous because he's got a def posse and you got a buncha dudes. Heh.

But yeah, like jstate, I grew up listening to both rap/hip hop and metal (and punk), and I see so much inspiration in rap, especially early stuff, from metal and rock. There is no shortage of riffs, much of it sampled of course, on the 80s hip hop albums. Run DMC, of course, but also LL Cool J. BDP, and so on. It's a subculture that, to me, is so in line with metal and punk that I never really got why more of my metalhead friends didn't listen to hip hop and vice versa.

A good read is Chuck D's book. There are fun stories about touring with Anthrax and Sisters of Mercy. I remember he talks about the first night, SoM played first and then Public Enemy. He said PE killed it and hip hop fans and metal fans were going nuts for them. But then Anthrax played and he said basically everyone who came their for PE that night left an Anthrax fan because they just destroyed the room and he was both in awe and also kind of resentful about it. Ha.

Wow, I never knew about this. That second mix is way better. Needs more of Mike's vocals though.

The Christian side of things got into this as well. I for one love this collaboration:



...pick my crown up!

They are both from Seattle and probably knew some of the same peeps. Martinsane might be able to elaborate on that.