Sir Mix-A-Lot is and was a Seattle hip-hop fixture. His 1988 single “Posse on Broadway” (from the album Swass) is a narrative song filled with local references. It describes the landmarks the posse hits on their night out, which can still be followed to this day. So I thought, why not take a trip through Seattle’s Central District and Capitol Hill, circa 1988, in tow with Mix-A-Lot and his posse?
We begin in the Rainier Valley, just south of the Central District
We’re rollin’ Rainier, and the jealous wanna get some
We don’t know exactly why we’re this far south, as Sir Mix-A-Lot grew up in the Central District, but we soon cruise up the diagonal street to Jackson, where we break East and head to 23rd.
Picked up the posse on 23rd and Jackson,
Headin’ for the strip, yes we’re lookin’ for some action
Today, 23rd and Jackson is gentrified, with luxury apartments and a Starbucks location on its corners. In 1988, though, this was an active intersection in Seattle’s predominantly black neighborhood. After we pick up the posse, we continue on East to check out the scene on Martin Luther King Jr. Way.
On Martin Luther King, the set looks kinda dead,
We need a new street so posse move ahead
This stretch of MLK Jr. Way was, and is, residential, so it’s no surprise the posse finds no excitement here. It’s not exactly clear which street the posse takes to get back onto 23rd, but in the next set of directions the driver decides to go back to where they were.
Wheelin’ 23rd we saw nothin’ but thugs
The girlies was too skinny from smokin’ all them drugs
Remember that in the 1980s the Central District was in the throes of the drug epidemic that affected many urban centers in America. Lyrics alluding to this are all over Swass and the follow-up album, Seminar, which takes a more political tone.
At 23rd and Union the driver broke left
Kevin shouted, Broadway it’s time to get def
We don’t linger on 23rd for long, however, as Broadway is still one of Seattle’s night life centers. Once there, the posse heads North past Seattle Central College.
The girlies by the college was lookin’ for a ride
We tried to pick ’em up but we had no room inside
Even in a black Benz Limo, Mix-A-Lot’s posse is overflowing. No mention of what they get up to, though, before we take a look at two aspects of Broadway’s nighttime cuisine.
Now the posse’s gettin’ hungry, and Mix-A-Lot’s treatin’
We stopped at Taco Bell, for some Mexican eatin’
But Taco Bell was closed, the girls was on my tip
They said, “Go back the other way, we’ll stop and eat at Dick’s”
Now closed, Broadway’s Taco Bell existed at its absolute North end, right where the street terminates. During its time, Taco Bell’s 24-hour sign was poorly lit and maintained, and often the restaurant’s managers and employees didn’t strictly adhere to it anyway.
Dick’s is the place where the cool hang out
The swass like to play, and the rich flaunt clout
Dick’s Drive-In is a Seattle fixture. To this day, they maintain seven locations in the Puget Sound area. Dick’s Drive-In on Broadway is a burger stand that’s open until 2am, and attracts all the club and bar patrons after last call. Affectionately known as “Richards” with a soft “ch” it’s a common meeting spot for after hours hang outs, and a cheap burger.
The song ends with some verses describing the posse’s escapades at the burger stand, not unlike many a weekend night in Seattle. It’s no wonder the song was popular among Sir Mix-A-Lot’s mostly local fans.
In June of 2014 Sir Mix-A-Lot collaborated with the Seattle Symphony as part of their Sonic Evolution series, the videos of which can still be found online. Swass can be listened to through Apple Music. While the album appears to be out of print, used copies can still be purchased through local record stores, or Discogs.
The Seattle Sound 