The History of Hip Hop Clans, Posses, Crews & Cliques

(XXL Magazine)

A decade before technology allowed for full-on crew mixtapes as an introduction to the extended family, there was the posse cut, all but invariably buried near the final third of an album, a showcase for the forthcoming talent. But this approach was sloppy reverse engineering of a working model.

The Juice Crew was not successful because of the power of any one person whose coattails were ridden to fame. In fact, the group’s earliest star, MC Shan, did not even appear on its defining moment, “The Symphony,” deeming his would-be co-stars as unworthy new jacks.

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