Any rap fan worth their, erm, salt, appreciates the first two Salt ‘N Pepa albums as having some jams. Sandra and Cheryl had the advantage of some sweet Hurby Luv Bug go-go influenced beats, giant earrings and a knack for a spirited onstage performance in their favor, eventually becoming bonafide pop stars in the early nineties. In this 1987 TV appearance on British music program The Tube, the gals put on a spirited miming of ‘My Mic Sounds Nice’ in front of a crowd of stunned mullets who clearly were not ready for that jelly.
The video for ‘Shake Your Thang’ features E.U. (of ‘Da Butt’ fame) on the hook, Kid ‘N Play attempting to develop their acting chops as NYC detectives and more ripped denim than you’d see after locking a jaguar in a Guess Jeans store overnight. The Chez and Sandy are arrested for ‘dirty dancing’ in a possible nod to Kevin Bacon’s fight to let local teenagers twinkle their toes in Footloose. Special mention needs to go to the the ladies hairdresses for delivering some fly-ass ‘dos for this one.
After being released from the pokey at the end of the previous video, Spinderella Mk. 2 (who isn’t a fella, but a girl DJ. Mindblowing, right?) picks them up and they change into their street leathers to dance with a gang of broads in some back alleys and perform their own interpretation of MJ’s ‘Beat It’ face-off. Sadly, this epic story didn’t continue since they played themselves like the Fat Boys and released novelty record ‘Twist and Shout’ after that. I need closure!
“Tramp” is one of my favorites
Everybody Get Up is the banger on that second album
Let the rythm run was my joint!
An unlikely cameo by Paula Yates on Unkut.
All the more surprising given that she was reponsible for the death of an Aussie icon.
@Bob 8-Off: I’d argue that Hutto’s belt is more culpable than the Yatesinator.
S-N-P were (and still are) so fly. Gonna see them live in a few weeks
Truth be told, their first two albums were solid.
But I’d be lying if I said I checked for them from the 3rd album onwards.
By coincidence a friend of mine was talking to me last night about going to that episode of The Tube. She was seriously unimpressed by their miming.
Salt and Pepper for LIFE!!!! Herbie Luv Bug was a big influence for me and my crew. There work was always Solid what a great catalog.
Still got a crush on all three of them but SALT you always had my heart baby!!!!!!
I remember Spinderella rapping on a Marley Marl track in the mid-90s. Maybe played on Future Flavors, not sure, but she was dope on it.
From a 2012 interview
TRHH: You rhymed on ‘Very Special’ with Big Daddy Kane, was there ever plans for you to record a solo album?
Spinderella: I actually did an album. It was dope, too.
TRHH: Really?
Spinderella: Yeah, I still got it. I’m holding on to it [laughs]. I have people like AZ, Busta Rhymes, and Sticky Fingaz on it. Marley Marl produced on it, Pete Rock produced–mine was gully. This was before Eve and probably around the time that Foxy Brown was coming out. Salt-N-Pepa got a deal and they offered me an album as part of that deal and we recorded it. It was time for me. The reason I started rapping was because Hurby, Salt-N-Pepa’s producer, had me rapping on the earlier stuff because Pep was pregnant. Me and Salt had to fill in the breaks to cover the bases for when Pep was pregnant. That’s how I started getting involved in the rapping part and they were like, “Yo, that sounds dope, why don’t you do this or that,” and they started incorporating me on more records. And then it was like why don’t we just do my own album? It was a good look but it didn’t come out because the deal with Salt-N-Pepa had fell through. It was under the MCA umbrella at the time and MCA dissolved. It was like, nope we ain’t releasing it so I said alright I’ll hold it. It was dope. I had some great tracks on it.
TRHH: So there are no plans to ever put that out?
Spinderella: No, it’s too late for that. The fact that freaking Pete Rock produced a track and Busta Rhymes is on a track, those are gems that are in my archives. I don’t know what day I’ll bring it to the light but its dope enough to be brought to the light. If I put it out you’d be like, “Who’s that?!”
Salt N Pepa was dope af, and the fact that Freddie Foxxx ghostwrote Whatta Man, always bring a smile to my face. Great group!
I had not ever heard that anyone considered Yates responsible for Hutchence’s death. Wow.
Besides the first album? They SUCKED. Fucking Gimmicks who didn’t write their own rhymes and they made horrible music. They were almost as wack as jj fad.
Herby gets respect for the production.
NO REAL HIP HOP NIGGA LISTENED TO SALT & PEPPA. Only little girls liked them.
Syncopated (Soul Power) is one of the hardest beats. If you were a kid in 88 you copped the first 2 s-n-p albums like they were a male act.
Ummm…, no @Broadway. You are in the minority with that sentiment. I’ll even admit to ‘I’ll Take Your Man’ is one of the roughest records by any artist. Real talk.
Their first two albums were solid