Happy Birthday, Mystikal!

Last season on Saturday Night Live featured a cool moment in hip-hop: Mystikal somehow made it as a musical guest. Yes, Mark Ronson was the star, but who thought Mystikal would eventually rock that stage? The NOLA rapper turns 45 years old today (Sept. 22).

Nobody quite forgets that they've listened to Mystikal after hearing just one verse. His bizarre on-record energy is hard to sleep on. The rapper's wild style made itself known on Master P's classic cut "Make 'Em Say Uhh" in 1998. From there, he went on to prove he was a reliable hitmaker. "Shake Ya Ass" became one of the biggest hits to rise from the New Orleans scene and "Danger (Been So Long)" proved that infectious energy wasn't just a spark.

Mystikal's career derailed because of damaging legal troubles. In 2003, he pleaded guilty and was sentenced to six years in jail for sexual battery and extortion after forcing a hairstylist to perform sex acts. The rhymer was freed in 2010, and had to register as a sex offender. But that didn't stop his time behind bars. He received a three-month jail sentence two years later for misdemeanor sexual battery.

His history of disrespect toward women has made it hard for some to get back on Mystikal's side. He never returned to his hitmaking prime, but he's had a small renaissance when he started embracing funk in the past few years. This makes some sense. Mystikal's performances always had a James Brown-esque hysteria to them. His track "Hit Me" got rave reviews and he linked up with Mark Ronson for "Feel Right."

Watch Mystikal's "Shake It Fast" Video

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