London Posse were one of the earliest groups to emerge from the British hip hop scene, initially being formed by Sipho the Human Beatbox who asked friends Rodney P, Bionic and DJ Biznezz to join him for a tour of the US supporting Mick Jones' (formerly of The Clash) new group, Big Audio Dynamite. When they first formed, they didn't even have a name, but whilst playing in New York City, they were constantly referred to as "the London Posse" because of their hometown, and the name stuck. On their return, they released a single "London Posse" (Big Life, 1987) produced by Tim Westwood, which detailed their experiences. Following this release, Sipho and Biznezz left the group. Rodney P and Bionic continued to record, releasing a single "Money Mad" (Justice, 1988) with Westwood's Justice label, before moving to Island Records subsidiary Mango to release more singles and their only album, Gangster Chronicle (Mango Records, 1990). With its roots in Reggae and New York hip hop, the album sounded significantly different to the predominant hardcore sound of their contemporaries, and cemented London Posse's reputation as one of the UK scene's most talented groups. When Mango was closed down by its parent company, London Posse moved to Bullit, run by their manager Errol Bull. They recorded a second album, but although a selection of singles came out "How's Life in London" (Bullit, 1993), "Supermodel" (Bullit, 1993) and "Style" (Bullit, 1996) the band couldn't afford to put the record out as any money they received for their work was ploughed back into the record company, and it was permanently shelved. Bionic moved into drum and bass, whilst Rodney P continued as a solo artist. He has formed a partnership with DJ Skitz to host a BBC 1 Xtra radio show and has released a solo album. In 2001, Word Play Records reissued the Gangster Chronicles album, adding some later material such as "How's Life in London" and "Pass the Rizla".
