David P. Hobbs (born September 23, 1963), also known by his stage name Mr. Mixx, is a co-founder of the controversial rap group 2 Live Crew, along with being a scratch DJ and music producer of the group. In 1986, the group released the single "Throw The 'D'"; it is now considered the blueprint of Miami bass.
Later in 1986, 2 Live Crew released their debut album, The 2 Live Crew Is What We Are. The album established the group's signature style of comical sexually explicit lyrics. After a slew of successful releases, the group met with considerable controversy as a U.S. district court ruled the album legally obscene. They were prosecuted but acquitted.
Hobbs produced popular 2 Live Crew singles such as "Throw the D", "Me So Horny", "Hoochie Mama", and other titles in the group's Miami bass musical catalog. Currently, Hobbs continues to DJ and produce other artists
Early life
Hobbs was born on September 23, 1963, and raised in Santa Ana, California.
In 1981, Hobbs graduated from Corona High School in nearby Corona, California, and enlisted in the United States Air Force shortly afterward.
Career
1984: Military service and founding of 2 Live Crew
In 1984, while stationed at March Air Force Base near Riverside, California, Hobbs met fellow musicians and United States Air Force Airmen Amazing Vee (Yuri Vielot) and Fresh Kid Ice (Christopher Wong Won). The trio, with Hobbs as DJ and Wong Won and Vielot as rappers, went on to form 2 Live Crew and would perform in small venues near the base, eventually releasing the group's first singles "The Revelation" and "2 Live Beat Box", on their own label independent label Fresh Beat Records, that same year.
"The Revelation" and "2 Live Beat Box" became popular in Florida, so much so that, following their discharge from the United States Air Force, Hobbs and Wong Won eventually relocated to Miami at the behest of local concert promoter Luther Campbell, who helped cultivate the momentum the group was establishing in the area. Hobbs DJing skills and prowess on the Roland 808 drum machine were instrumental in the group's overall growth.
1985–1986: Miami Bass DJ and 2 Live Crew success
In 1985, 2 Live Crew released their follow up single, "What I Like" on Fresh Beat Records. That same year, the group entered into a joint venture with Campbell and formed Luke Skyywalker Records. Shortly after forming the record label, Campbell joined 2 Live Crew as a hype man. In April, 1986, rapper Brother Marquis (Mark D. Ross) joined 2 Live Crew, replacing Vielot, who left the group shortly after its relocation to Miami .
In January 1987, 2 Live Crew released the EP "Throw the D" with "Ghetto Bass" on the B-side, with Hobbs as DJ and producer on both tracks."Throw the D" became an influential blueprint as to how future Miami bass songs were written and produced. Hobbs' performances on these releases made him the first Miami Bass scratch DJ.
The reconfigured group, featuring their most well known lineup (Hobbs, Campbell, Wong Won and Ross) became popular locally and nationally with the release of their Gold-certified debut album, The 2 Live Crew Is What We Are on January 25, 1987. Notorious for sexually explicit lyrics, the album made Hobbs and his bandmates rap superstars.
1988–1991: Continued 2 Live Crew success and attendant controversy
In 1988, 2 Live Crew released their second album, Move Somethin' It was also certified Gold and featured the singles "Move Somethin'" and "Do Wah Diddy Diddy". The album improved on the charts from the previous album, making in to #68 on the Billboard 200 and #20 on the Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums charts. A separate ”clean” version of the album, suitable for radio play, was released in addition to the explicit version.
2 Live Crew’s third album As Nasty As They Wanna Be (1989), became the group’s most successful commercial studio album and was certified double Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America. The album’s lead single "Me So Horny" peaked at 26 of the Billboard Top 100 chart. A clean version of the album, As Clean As They Wanna Be was released concurrently with the explicit version.
In 1990, the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida ruled As Nasty As They Wanna Be to be legally obscene, becoming the first album in history to be so declared by a federal court; this ruling was later overturned by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit. An obscenity trial followed, where all of the defendants, including Hobbs, were eventually acquitted of all charges.