 The first song to gain popularity outside of Seattle was "Square Dance Rap" in 1986.Mix-a-Lot had originally decided to rap the entire song slow, then speed and pitch it up in post production, Mix later told Seattle Refined in 2018 that "I didn't want to rap, that's why I use this weird Smurf voice".After the song was picked up by DJs in clubs nationwide, he went touring in Florida, New York, and other states.