Entertainment
"Anaconda" and "Baby Got Back" Have the Same Video
Nicki Minaj's "Anaconda" single did a sampling of Sir Mix-a-Lot's "Baby Got Back" and, in fact, "Baby Got Back" makes up the entire melody behind Minaj's single. From that, it wasn't exactly difficult to guess that Minaj's "Anaconda" was a song directly inspired by "Baby Got Back", right down to the title of the song which alludes to one of Sir Mix-a-Lot's, uh, iconic lyrics. As a modern day ode to the female backside, "Anaconda" was unimpressive by my standards, but Minaj's "Anaconda" music video was on a whole different level than the song itself. "Anaconda" wasn't trying very hard to be its own song because it was an homage and nowhere was that better shown than in the music video, which alludes to or references several things from Sir Mix-a-Lot's music video.
Oh, sure, "Anaconda" and "Baby Got Back" are basically the same music video because they're both videos about butts to go with songs about butts. But if you look a little closer, you'll see that Minaj actually took the time to do an homage to several of the more surrealist portions of Sir Mix-a-Lot's video even while making it her own. Here are at least seven parts of the "Anaconda" music video that were directly inspired by Sir Mix-a-Lot's "Baby Got Back" music video.
1. The MIX/MYX Sign
This was the first and most obvious. At several points in the "Baby Got Back" video, Sir Mix-a-Lot was rapping in front of a giant black sign that said MIX-A-LOT. Take that and add a "Y" and you've got Nicki Minaj adding her personal touch.
2. The random fruit
In Sir Mix-a-Lot's music video, all of the random fruit was either shaped like a butt or put together to be shaped like a butt. Why Minaj was using pineapples instead is anyone's guess.
3. The workout reference
"Your girlfriend rolls a Honda playing workout tapes by Fonda", anyone? During that line, Sir Mix-a-Lot had his dancers behind him doing familiar workout moves, which Minaj references during the gym scene in her own video. Since that's the line directly preceding "my anaconda don't want none unless you got buns, hon", it would have been strange for Minaj to let it go by without a shout out.
4. The quartet of booty dancers
Four dancers shaking what their mothers gave them in short shorts and crop tops? Check and double check.
5. The turntable
Sir Mix-a-Lot's music video featured a DJ working a turntable that had a miniature butt spinning on it. No one touches the turntable in Minaj's video, but we did learn that you can basically make a fruit salad on one.
6. The bananas
It's not hard to guess what the banana in Sir Mix-a-Lot's music video was in reference to. Minaj took it a step further by not only eating one, but coating it in whipped cream and then cutting it to pieces with a sneer. Sorry, guys. I guess this one isn't for you?
7. This exact shot
There are a lot of different shots of butts in "Baby Got Back" and "Anaconda", as one would expect, but this particular shot is shared by both videos. The quartets bend over and place their hands on their rumps to put them on display because, after all, their behinds are nothing to be ashamed of. It's clear that "Baby Got Back" and its accompanying video was one of Minaj's favorites and she did a great job of updating it for the modern generation. At least we don't have to look at those '90s clothes anymore.
Check out the music video below.
