Veteran hip-hop rap artist Sir Mix-A-Lot, poet Melissa Noelle Green and the volunteer staff of KMIH-FM ("X-104") have been awarded the fourth annual Mayor's Award for Excellence in Hip-Hop.

The awards, for innovative performance, community service or entrepreneurial achievement, go to local members of the hip-hop community whose work has had a significant impact in Seattle.

An independent panel selected the three winners from 21 nominations. Rap artist Mix-A-Lot was honored as an industry pioneer, Green for spoken word and the X-104 staff for broadcast innovation.

Hip-hop pioneer rap artist Mix-A-Lot began actively rapping in the early ''80s, co-founded the Nastymix record label in 1983 and hosted the city's first hip-hop radio show. The biggest song of his career, "Baby Got Back," was recorded in 1992. His latest album is "Daddy's Home."

Green, whose first book of poetry, "My Soul Says Yes," was released in 2000, has performed in several theatrical productions and made appearances at Bumbershoot, the Folklife Festival and literary events in New York and California.

Radio station X-104, which broadcasts from Mercer Island High School and began webcasting in January, features the latest in hip-hop and R&B and is staffed mostly by student volunteers and those taking a media-broadcasting technology class.

The awards were handed out Friday night in ceremonies at the Columbia City Theatre.

*Contributing source - Davey D.com