The Meters — Art Neville, Leo Nocentelli, George Porter Jr., and Joseph "Zigaboo" Modeliste — were the house band at Allen Toussaint's Sea-Saint Studios in New Orleans. In 1969, they recorded "Cissy Strut" as their debut single. The track is pure New Orleans funk: a tight, syncopated groove built on Modeliste's innovative drumming, Porter's deep pocket bass, and Nocentelli's clipped, rhythmic guitar. It reached number four on the R&B chart.

Zigaboo Modeliste's drumming on "Cissy Strut" is a masterclass in second-line funk. His syncopated patterns draw directly from New Orleans parade drumming traditions, translating brass band rhythms into a small-group funk context. That distinctly New Orleans flavor gave producers a different rhythmic texture from the straighter funk of James Brown or Parliament.

N.W.A., Run-DMC, and A Tribe Called Quest are among the artists who have drawn from the track. The Meters remain the definitive New Orleans funk band, and "Cissy Strut" remains their definitive statement.