Posse on Broadway

Infobox Single
Name = Posse on Broadway


Artist = Sir Mix-a-Lot
from Album = Swass
B-side =
Released = 1988
Format = 7", 12", Cassette single, CD single
Recorded =
Genre = Hip-hop
Length =
Label = Def American
Writer = Sir Mix-a-Lot
Producer = Sir Mix-a-Lot
Certification =
Chart position =
Last single =
This single = "Posse on Broadway"
(1992)
Next single =

"Posse on Broadway" is a popular rap song first recorded by Sir Mix-A-Lot on on his 1988 album, "Swass."

The Broadway in the song is not New York City's famed thoroughfare, but the Seattle street of the same name in the Capitol Hill district (Sir Mix-a-Lot is a Seattle native).

The geography of the song is quite specific, going north up Rainier Valley on Rainier Avenue S., then east to "23rd and Jackson," 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" (still in the CD, but northeast), and then to Broadway. "The college" is Seattle Central Community College near the south end of the Broadway commercial strip, from which they drive to Taco Bell at the north end, which "was closed" (a local joke, as that particular restaurant has 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."

There are two versions out there by Sir Mix-a-Lot: the "Radio Edit", which was played on air and the "Godzilla Remix Edit", which featured Godzilla's signature "roar" and a sample of the guitar riff from David Bowie's "Fame". The lyrics are slightly different between the two, most notably Mix-a-Lot references the "Gatorback" tires on his limo, instead of the "50-Series" in the radio edit and refers to the vehicle as "the Bistro" in the Godzilla version.

Other versions

Rapper Nelly covered the song as "Natural Bridge and King's Highway," set it in St. Louis with his crew, the St. Lunatics.

Insane Clown Posse recorded a cover of "Posse on Broadway" originally named "Posse on Vernor" but re-recorded as "Posse on Broadway" for the "" rock/rap covers compilation. ICP's version modifies the lyrics in the band's gory style and to represent the geography of their native Detroit.

The Portland, Oregon Christian rap group Acts 29 covered the song as "Posse on Burnside".

Houston's South Park Mexican covered the song, applying it to the Broadway in the Southeast, Harris County.

Bay Area rapper E-40 recorded a remake titled "Big Ballin' With My Homies'" on his 1999 album .

DJ and producer Diplo included a version of "Posse on Broadway" on his 2008 Santogold mixtape collaboration, "Top Ranking".

External links

* [http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msa=0&msid=117755304854031221558.0000011244f24dfff5967 Map on the song on Google Maps]
* [http://local.live.com/?v=2&cid=AAC4007787524E04!110 Map of the song's events on local.live.com]

The song was remade by Dipset 145th and Broadway referring to Harlem

References

* [http://allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:7esqoa9aeijp Track listing of "Under Exposed" by Acts 29]