"Posse on Broadway" is a
hip hop song first recorded by
Sir Mix-a-Lot
Anthony L. Ray (born August 12, 1963), better known by his stage name Sir Mix-a-Lot, is an American rapper, songwriter, and record producer. He is best known for his 1992 hit song " Baby Got Back", which peaked at number one on the ''Billboard'' ...
on his 1988 debut album ''
Swass
''Swass'' is the debut album by Sir Mix-a-Lot. It was released in 1988 on Nastymix and re-released on CD by Def American Recordings. The album featured the singles "Posse on Broadway", "Square Dance Rap", "Iron Man
Iron Man is a superhero ...
''. He also released a
music video
A music video is a video of variable duration, that integrates a music song or a music album with imagery that is produced for promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a music marketing device ...
.
The single is regarded as Mix-a-Lot’s career breakthrough and the first
golden age hip-hop record from outside the well-established
East Coast,
West Coast, and
Southern scenes to be nationally embraced.
Background
The song is a
day in the life inspired by “an actual night that we actually had” where Mix-a-Lot and his friends
cruise their hometown of Seattle, WA.
The
Broadway
Broadway may refer to:
Theatre
* Broadway Theatre (disambiguation)
* Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S.
** Broadway (Manhattan), the street
**Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...
in the song is the main drag in
Seattle
Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest regio ...
's
Capitol Hill neighborhood, a street on which the Mix-a-Lot Posse got "lots of good grip from the 50 series tires".
The geography of the song is quite specific, going on Rainier Avenue, then east to "23rd and Jackson" (23rd Avenue S. and S. Jackson Street), a major intersection in Seattle's traditionally black
Central District or "CD," then cruising east to
Martin Luther King Jr. Way S. where "the set looks kinda dead" so "we need a new street," then by "23rd and Union" (23rd Avenue and E. Union Hills, North, but northwest), and then to Broadway. "The college" is
Seattle Central College
Seattle Central College is a public college in Seattle, Washington. With North Seattle College and South Seattle College, it is one of the three colleges that comprise the Seattle Colleges District. The college has a substantial internatio ...
near the East end of the Broadway commercial strip, from which they drive to
Taco Bell
Taco Bell is an American-based chain of fast food restaurants founded in 1962 by Glen Bell (1923–2010) in Downey, California. Taco Bell is a subsidiary of Yum! Brands, Inc. The restaurants serve a variety of Mexican-inspired foods, includin ...
at the north end, which "was closed" (a local joke, as that particular restaurant had a never-lit and wholly inaccurate "Open 24 Hours" sign built into the wall) so they "go back the other way" to
Dick's Drive-In, a local
fast food institution and, according to the song, "the place where the cool hang out."
The track’s low-frequency bass drum sounds were created by
Roland’s TR-808 drum machine referred to in the lyrics as the “808 kick-drum.” The elongated decay was difficult to capture on the 24-inch tape of the era, and
Terry Date
Terry Date (born January 31, 1956) is an American record producer and audio engineer specializing in rock genres, especially heavy metal. He is well known for his work with Metal Church, Dream Theater, Soundgarden, Overkill, Pantera, Dark Ang ...
, a famous Seattle recording engineer best known for his work with grunge acts, helped achieve the effect.
Music Video
The music video was shot on location in Seattle and showcases the city’s
South End,
Central District and
Capitol Hill neighborhoods. Dick’s Drive-In refused permission to shoot any portion of the video at their Broadway location, so the drive-in scenes were shot at Stan’s, another drive-in burger restaurant located a few miles south at the intersection of Rainier Avenue and Dearborn Street.
Versions and Remixes
There are multiple versions of the song: a "Radio Edit", which was played over the radio; the "Thunder Mix, which was included on the Mix-A-Lot
compilation album ''
Playlist: The Very Best of Sir Mix-a-Lot''; and the "Godzilla Remix Edit", which features
Godzilla
is a fictional monster, or '' kaiju'', originating from a series of Japanese films. The character first appeared in the 1954 film '' Godzilla'' and became a worldwide pop culture icon, appearing in various media, including 32 films prod ...
's signature "
roar" and a sample of the guitar riff from
David Bowie
David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known professionally as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer-songwriter and actor. A leading figure in the music industry, he is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the ...
's "
Fame". The Godzilla Mix has slight lyrical differences, most notably Mix-a-Lot referencing the "
Gatorback" tires instead of the "50-Series" tires of the original and a reference to vehicle as "the Bistro".
Charts
References
External links
*
Track listing of ''Under Exposed'' by Acts 29br>
Map of the song on Google MapsMap of the song's events on local.live.com
{{Sir Mix-a-Lot
1988 singles
Culture of Seattle
Sir Mix-a-Lot songs
1988 songs
Songs written by Sir Mix-a-Lot