Today, Sept. 8, is the birthday of West Coast radio titan Big Boy. The syndicated radio host celebrates more than 20 years in the business now turns 49.

Big Boy, born Kurt Alexander, grew up in the Los Angeles area and got into music by DJ-ing parties in high school. Known for his large stature and frame, Big Boy worked as a bodyguard for LA group The Pharcyde in the early 1990s. Big Boy landed his first radio hosting gig at LA's Power 106 in the late 1990s in the afternoon slot, but he was so popular, the vivacious host worked his way up to mornings quickly. Big Boy became known for breaking West Coast artists and scoring exclusives with living rap icons like Dr. Dre and 50 Cent.

In 2015, Big Boy made a major career move by leaving Power 106's Emmis Communications (the same giant that owns New York's Hot 97) to iHeartMedia's Real 92.3. Since then, Big Boy has been thriving with his shows Big Boy's Neighborhood and BigBoyTV and aside from his own gigs, the host has become such a figure in the rap world, he's landing cameo gigs in films like The Longest Yard, Soul Plane and more over the years.

Happy Birthday, Big Boy!

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