Very Necessary is just as impressive as Blacks' Magic, if not more so. The key difference is, Blacks' Magic was a striking leap forward for Salt-N-Pepa, who were somewhat of a novelty act up to that point, whereas Very Necessary is a consolidation of everything that had worked so well for the duo previously. Hence the lack of surprises here.

(Redirected from DJ Pamela Green)
Salt-N-Pepa performing at the Canberra Theatre in Australia, 2013.
Background information
Also known asSuper Nature
OriginNew York City, New York, U.S.
Genres
Years active
  • 1985–2002
  • 2005–present
Labels
Associated acts
Websitewww.saltnpepa.com
Members
Past members
  • Latoya Hanson (1986)
  • DJ Spinderella(1987–2019)

Salt-N-Pepa (also stylized as Salt 'N' Pepa or Salt 'N Pepa) is an American hip-hopgirl group formed in 1985.[1][2][3][4] Group members included Salt (Cheryl James), Pepa (Sandra Denton), and DJ Spinderella (Deidra Roper). They were signed to Next Plateau Records and released their single 'Push It' on March 8, 1987, which hit number one in three countries and became a Top Ten or Top Twenty hit in various other countries. Their debut album Hot, Cool & Vicious sold more than a million copies worldwide, making them the first female rap act to achieve gold and platinum-status.[5] Their fourth album Very Necessary sold over 7 million copies worldwide (5 million of those in the US), making it the highest-selling album by a female rap act in history.[5][6]

Salt-N-Pepa have sold over 15 million records worldwide,[7] making them one of the best-selling rap acts of all time, male or female. The group has been nominated for a Grammy Award several times, the first being in 1988 for their 1987 hit song 'Push It'. The trio won the 1995 Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group for their song 'None Of Your Business', making them one of the first female rap acts to win a Grammy Award, along with Queen Latifah who also won during that same year.[8] Their success in rap and hip-hop culture has earned them the honorific title 'The First Ladies of Rap and Hip Hop'.[9]

  • 1History

History[edit]

1985–1987: Formation and early years[edit]

In mid-1985, Brooklyn native Cheryl James met Jamaican-born Queens resident Sandra Denton, both studying nursing at Queensborough Community College. The pair became close friends and co–workers at Sears. Another co-worker, Hurby 'Luv Bug' Azor was studying record production at the Center of Media Arts and asked James and Denton to record for him as a class project.[10] This resulted in the single 'The Showstoppa', an answer record to Doug E. Fresh's hit single 'The Show'[4] by the duo, who originally called themselves 'Super Nature', along with DJ Latoya Hanson in late 1985, produced by Azor. The single utilized a melody from the 1984 filmRevenge of the Nerds. The finished recording garnered some airplay on a New York City rap radio program. The independent Pop Art Records gave it an official release, and 'The Show Stoppa (Is Stupid Fresh)' became a modest R&B hit.[4] The single reached No. 46 on the Billboard R&B chart. In September 1985, the group signed to Next Plateau Entertainment (formerly Next Plateau Records), adopting the stage name Salt-N-Pepa and released their debut album Hot, Cool & Vicious in December 1986.

In 1987, the group recruited Deidra Roper, a 15-year-old high-school student DJ named 'Spinderella' after the departure of Hanson. The group entered the music industry at a time when hip hop was believed to be a fad and major record companies were very reluctant to sign hip hop artists.[11] Many early hip hop artists recorded for independent labels. Salt-N-Pepa made their impact on hip hop by being one of the first all-female rap groups. With lots of concerns about sexist lyrics and video clips that objectified women's bodies in hip hop, many feminists disliked rap and hip hop because of its bad portrayal of women. However, Salt-N-Pepa changed the look of hip hop. They were scantily clad in sexy clothing and were not afraid to talk about sex and their thoughts about men. Their song 'Let's Talk About Sex' was a huge hit.[12]

With the success of 'The Show Stoppa,' the group's name was changed to Salt-N-Pepa. The group changed their name because in 'The Show Stoppa' they rap the lines 'Right now I'm gonna show you how it's supposed to be 'Cause we, the Salt and Pepa MCs'. This resulted in radio stations getting phone calls requesting 'The Show Stoppa' by Salt & Pepper. They signed to the independent Next Plateau Records to record a full-length album.[4] The group's first album Hot, Cool & Vicious was released in 1986 with the original DJ Latoya Hanson, who was later replaced by Roper as Spinderella.[13][14] The album was produced by Hurby Azor, Salt's boyfriend at the time and also the group's manager.[4] Years later, the women found themselves with legal issues with Azor as they accused him of paying unfair royalties. Hot, Cool & Vicious provided some moderate R&B hits with the singles 'My Mic Sound Nice', 'Tramp', and 'Chick On The Side'. But when San FranciscoDJ and producer Cameron Paul created a remix to 'Push It', the B-side of the 'Tramp' single, it gave the group their first major hit.[4] 'Push It' (US #19, UK #2) became a platinum single in the United States, and a hit in several other countries, and was added to subsequent pressings of Hot, Cool & Vicious. It was nominated for a Grammy Award, and the strength of that single catapulted the album to platinum sales in the US with over one million copies sold, making Denton, James, and Roper the first female rap act to go platinum.[15] The album ultimately sold 1.4 million copies worldwide.[16]

1988–1991: A Salt with a Deadly Pepa and breakthrough[edit]

Salt-N-Pepa's next album, A Salt with a Deadly Pepa was released on July 26, 1988, contained the Top Ten R&B hit 'Shake Your Thang', featuring the go-go band E.U. A top 20 R&B hit and a minor pop hit were seen in 'Get Up Everybody (Get Up)' and 'Twist and Shout', respectively; with 'Twist and Shout' becoming a major hit in the UK (#4),[17] and several other European countries. The album became certified gold-status, for excess sales of 600,000 copies sold in the U.S. and a total of 800,000 copies sold internationally.[16]

The group's third album Blacks' Magic was released on March 19, 1990. Pepa would become the first group member to become pregnant. Azor would produce some songs on the album. As he was producing other acts, he agreed to let the artists work with different producers to finish the album. James and Roper took on producing assignments themselves and the trio also hired different producers such as Invincible's producer Dana Mozie. This was the first album to feature Roper on vocals as well as DJ'ing. The result was six singles released by Next Plateau Records, several of which became hits: 'Expression' (US #26, UK #40 in 1990, UK #23 in 1992), a platinum single that had been certified gold before it even cracked the US Hot 100 as it had already been #1 on the R&B Chart for 8 weeks, and produced by Salt; 'Independent'; 'I Don't Know' (featuring Kid 'n Play); 'Do You Want Me' (US #21, UK #5), certified gold; 'Let's Talk About Sex' (US #13, UK #2), certified gold, and later re-recorded as 'Let's Talk About Aids'; and 'You Showed Me' (UK #15). The album ultimately sold 1.6 million copies worldwide with a million of those sold in the US.[citation needed] A greatest hits album called A Blitz of Salt-N-Pepa Hits, featuring some remixed versions of songs from the group's first three albums was subsequently released.

1993–1995: Groundbreaking success, Very Necessary[edit]

Salt-N-Pepa's fourth studio album Very Necessary was released on October 12, 1993 on London Records/PolyGram.[17] The album featured songwriting and production by Salt, Pepa, Spinderella, and Azor. Buoyed by the hits 'Shoop' (US #4, UK #13), co-produced by Pepa; 'Whatta Man' (US #3, UK #7) (featuring En Vogue); and 'None of Your Business', a Top 40 US hit and a Top 20 UK hit, the album eventually sold seven million worldwide, with five million of those in the US (5x platinum), making them the first female rap act (solo or group) to have a multi-platinum selling album. The group toured and Salt went on to co-star in the motion picture comedy Who's the Man?. Pepa co-starred in the movie Joe's Apartment. Pepa had also been romantically involved with Treach of the rap group Naughty By Nature. The trio won the Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group in 1995 for the single 'None of Your Business',[18] making them the first female rap act to win Grammy. The album is the best selling album by a female rap act.[5]

1996–2002: Brand New and hiatus[edit]

By the time of their next album release, Salt-N-Pepa had gone through the legal process of completely breaking away from Azor, whom they accused of unfair royalty payments. Salt had already stopped being romantically involved with him due to their many ups-and-downs. The trio also left London Records after one album and signed with Red Ant Records, though still distributed by PolyGram Records through its Island Records label. Red Ant offered the trio a $15 million signing bonus to sign with them. The group undertook production duties once again, but without Azor involved in any part of the album. The result was their fifth album, Brand New which released on October 21, 1997, which hit stores a few months later. However, Red Ant filed for bankruptcy soon afterwards, halting promotion on all its releases, including Salt-N-Pepa's album. The group toured in support of the album, but without any promotion or marketing from the now-defunct Red Ant, they only scored minor hits with 'R U Ready' and 'Gitty Up'. The album was certified gold in the U.S. for sales of over 500,000 and sold approximately another 200,000 worldwide. Although not as big a seller as its predecessor, it kept intact an unbroken string of platinum and gold studio albums by the trio.

In March 1999, Salt-N-Pepa embarked on a tour. Pepa married Treach of Naughty by Nature on July 27 of the same year. Salt-N-Pepa's greatest-hits album, entitled The Best of Salt-N-Pepa, was released in Europe on January 25, 2000. Pepa and Treach would remain married for two years but their tumultuous marriage would end in divorce on July 31, 2001. With no albums contractually due at the time, Salt decided to quit the group, stating she had enough of the music industry and no longer wanted to be involved in it. They officially disbanded in 2002. Some time later, Salt announced that she would be releasing her first solo album, but never ended up doing so. She was featured on the remix version of the Salt City Six's 'Shine', on the album Holy South Worldwide, a compilation of Christian rap and Christian R&P (Rhythm & Praise) songs. The album was executive produced by ex-Three 6 Mafia member-turned-Christian rapper Mr. Del. Salt also revealed in later interviews[citation needed] that she had suffered from bulimia 'many years ago'. Pepa appeared on the fifth season of VH-1's The Surreal Life. Spinderella became a radio personality on KKBT 100.3 in Los Angeles, California. She hosted The Backspin (with DJ Mo'Dav), a nationally syndicated weekly radio show featuring old schoolhip hop music. She also periodically DJs at various clubs. The trio was disbanded for a total of five years.[19]

2005–present: Reunion[edit]

Salt-N-Pepa performing at the Canberra Theatre, 2013.

Both Salt and Pepa appeared on VH-1's Hip Hop Honors in September 2005, as the trio were honorees. All three women reunited the following year for the next Hip Hop Honors program and performed 'Whatta Man' with En Vogue. It was the trio's first performance in six years, and was their first ever performance of 'Whatta Man' with En Vogue on stage.[20] Salt-N-Pepa reformed in 2007. All three women now have children. Spinderella has a daughter with former NBA player Kenny Anderson. Her daughter has appeared on MTV's My Super Sweet Sixteen in 2008. Pepa has a son and a daughter. Salt has a daughter and a son.

On October 14, 2007, The Salt-n-Pepa Show debuted on VH1. Pepa initially started the formation of the series as she had previously appeared on the network in The Surreal Life. The Salt-n-Pepa Show chronicled events in the lives of Pepa and Salt as they work out past issues and return to the recording studio. Spinderella has been featured in several episodes. Later in 2008, the trio performed with MC Lyte, Yo-Yo, and Lady of Rage at the BET Hip Hop Awards. Pepa released an autobiography entitled Let's Talk About Pep in August 2008. The book was co-written by author Karen Hunter and offers a glimpse behind the fame, family, failures, and successes of Pepa's life, as well as being a member of one of hip-hop's most successful acts. It features an introduction by Queen Latifah, and an epilogue by Missy Elliott. To accompany the book, she also launched her own social network for her fans and also starred in the reality TV series Let's Talk About Pep on the VH-1 network.

On May 9, 2009 Salt-N-Pepa performed a concert in Honolulu, Hawaii along with SWV and Lisa Lisa. The name of the show was 'Ladies of the 80s'. They performed at the Good Vibrations Festival in Australia in February 2010,[21] and the South West Four Festival, Clapham Common, London on August 29, 2010.[22] On October 12, 2010, Salt-N-Pepa received the I Am Hip Hop Award at the BET Hip Hop Awards.

On February 4, 2011, Salt N Pepa headed out on a national tour entitled Salt N Pepa's Legends of Hip Hop Tour.[23] Other acts on the tour included: Whodini, Rob Base, Kurtis Blow, Doug E Fresh, Biz Markie, Naughty By Nature, MC Lyte, Big Daddy Kane, Kool Moe Dee, Slick Rick and Chubb Rock. On November 21, 2011, Salt-N-Pepa appeared on The X Factor Australia's third season with contestant and finalist Johnny Ruffo. They performed 'Push It'. On July 30, 2012, Salt-N-Pepa opened up for rap group Public Enemy in Brooklyn, New York, as part of the Martin Luther King Jr. Concert Series. They brought out rap duo Kid 'n Play after performing 'Whatta Man'.

The trio made a November 2014 appearance in a Geico insurance commercial performing 'Push It'.[24] DJ Spinderella replaced temporary DJ Wendy Williams (The Wendy Williams Show) during Salt-N-Pepa's performance of 'Push It', first airing December 18, 2015. The trio's hit song 'Shoop' made a comeback on February 12, 2016, as one of the main theme songs featured in the blockbuster Marvel movie Deadpool. [25] The duo, along with DJ Spinderella performed in Red Deer, Alberta (Canada) for Westerner Days at the Enmax Centrium on July 21, 2016.[26][27]

Salt-N-Pepa performing at InfoCision Stadium in Akron, Ohio, August 2018

In 2017–2018, the group toured as part of the 'I Love The 90's' tour performing in various locations around the world including in the UK Wembley Arena, Glasgow SSE, Liverpool Echo Arena and Birmingham, and next in January 2018 they are due to embark on the Trip-Hop cruise from Miami in association with the I Love The 90's tour. Fans who bought Salt-N-Pepa T-shirts at the tour were able to join the trio on stage to dance to Girl's Just Wanna Have Fun or Whatta Man, whilst the tour also featured a special edition Push It jacket which if purchased would get 4 people back stage to meet the group. On October 16, 2018, they appeared on the US version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, with Kid N Play serving as their 'plus one' in studio lifeline.

In March 2019, it was announced that Salt-N-Pepa would have a biographical miniseries coming to the Lifetime network, highlighting the rise of the group to become one of the first successful female rap groups in hip hop.[28] Queen Latifah, as well as Salt-N-Pepa will be executive producers of the series.

On May 2, 2019, the Mixtape Tour commenced in Cincinnati, OH. Performers on this tour include Salt-N-Pepa, Debbie Gibson, Tiffany, and Naughty by Nature, with New Kids on the Block being billed as the headline performers.[29] The next day, DJ Spinderella announced that she had been 'terminated' from Salt-N-Pepa in an Instagram post as of January, and broke her silence after the band didn't make a public announcement regarding their parting ways.[30]

Discography[edit]

Studio albums
  • Hot, Cool & Vicious (1986)
  • A Salt with a Deadly Pepa (1988)
  • Blacks' Magic (1990)
  • Very Necessary (1993)
  • Brand New (1997)

Awards and nominations[edit]

  • American Music Award
    • 1989: Favorite Soul/R&B Band, Duo, or Group (nominated)
    • 1989: Favorite Hip-Hop Artist (nominated)
    • 1995: Favorite R&B/Soul Duo or Group (nominated)
    • 1995: Favorite Soul/R&B Single 'Whatta Man' (w/ En Vogue) (nominated)
    • 1995: Favorite Hip-Hop Artist (nominated)
  • Grammy Award
    • 1989: Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group: 'Push It' (nominated)
    • 1992: Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group: 'Let's Talk About Sex' (nominated)
    • 1995: Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group: 'Whatta Man' (w/ En Vogue) (nominated)
    • 1995: Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group: 'None of Your Business' – winner
    • 1997: Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group: 'Champagne' (nominated)
  • MTV Video Music Award
    • 1994: Best Dance Video 'Whatta Man' – winner
    • 1994: Best R&B Video 'Whatta Man' – winner
    • 1994: Best Choreography In A Video 'Whatta Man' – winner
    • 1995: Best Dance Video 'None of Your Business' (nominated)
    • 1995: Best Choreography 'None of Your Business' (nominated)
  • Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards
    • 1989: Favorite Female Musician (nominated)
  • Soul Train Music Awards
    • 1989: Best Rap Album 'A Salt with a Deadly Pepa' (nominated)
  • Soul Train Lady of Soul Awards
    • 1995: Entertainer of the Year – winner
  • 2nd Annual VH1 Hip Hop Honors Honoree

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^Elafros 2007, pp. 193–194.
  2. ^''Ladies First': Queen Latifah's Afrocentric Feminist Music Video'(PDF). African American Review. Retrieved 17 June 2013.
  3. ^Elafros 2007, p. 196.
  4. ^ abcdefStrong, Martin C. (2000). The Great Rock Discography (5th ed.). Edinburgh: Mojo Books. pp. 842–843. ISBN1-84195-017-3.
  5. ^ abcSalt-N-Pepa Outsold Wu-Tang, So Why Don’t We Talk About Them More?. Medium. Retrieved on February 28, 2019
  6. ^The 50 Best Selling Rap Albums of All Time. Complex. Retrieved on February 28, 2019
  7. ^Salt N Pepa Announce Australian Tour. Beat Magazine. Retrieved on February 28, 2019
  8. ^'Rock On The Net: 37th Annual Grammy Awards - 1995'. www.rockonthenet.com. Retrieved 2017-04-06.
  9. ^First Ladies Of Rap: Salt-N-Pepa. Source Magazine. Retrieved on February 28, 2019
  10. ^'Big Bang, Baby: Rock Trivia'. Google Books. Dundurn. 2000. Retrieved November 30, 2017.
  11. ^Elafros 2007, p. 195.
  12. ^White, Bay, Martin Jr., Deborah, Mia, Waldo E. (2013). Freedom on My Mind: a History of African Americans with Documents. Bedford St. Martins. p. 767.CS1 maint: Multiple names: authors list (link)
  13. ^Roberts, Michael (1999-04-01). 'Seasoned Performers'. Denver Westword. Retrieved October 2, 2007.
  14. ^Appiah, Kwame Anthony; Henry Louis Gates, Jr. (1999). Africana: The Encyclopedia of the African and African American Experience. Basic Civitas Books. p. 1661. ISBN0-465-00071-1.
  15. ^'Salt-N-Pepa: Our Life in 15 Songs'. Rolling Stone. Retrieved February 22, 2018.
  16. ^ ab'Gold and Platinum certifications earned by Salt 'n' Pepa'. RIAA. Retrieved February 1, 2017.
  17. ^ abRoberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 480. ISBN1-904994-10-5.
  18. ^'Rock On The Net: 37th Annual Grammy Awards - 1995'. www.rockonthenet.com. Retrieved 2017-04-06.
  19. ^Orcutt, K. C. (2016-03-10). 'First Ladies Of Rap: Salt-N-Pepa'. The Source. Retrieved 2019-05-06.
  20. ^'Watch A&E Full Episodes & Videos Online - A&E'. aetv.
  21. ^'SALT-N-PEPA - Good Vibrations'. Archived from the original on November 23, 2009. Retrieved January 20, 2010.
  22. ^'SALT-N-PEPA - South West Four Festival August 2010'. Archived from the original on May 26, 2010. Retrieved May 28, 2010.
  23. ^Salt n Pepa's Legends of Hip Hop Tour Official Site - Home. Hiphoplegends.com. Retrieved on April 24, 2012.
  24. ^'Salt-N-Pepa Perform 'Push It' for Hilarious New Geico Commercial: Clip - Us Weekly'. usmagazine.com. November 26, 2014.
  25. ^Polowy, Kevin. 'Salt-N-Pepa Explain How Their '90s Jam 'Shoop' Became Deadpool's Anthem'. Yahoo! Movies. Retrieved April 18, 2017.
  26. ^'Entertainment'. Westerner Days Fair & Exposition. Archived from the original on August 17, 2016. Retrieved April 18, 2017.
  27. ^'Westerner Days on Twitter'. July 21, 2016. Retrieved April 18, 2017. We're pumped for Salt-N-Pepa tonight on the TD Main Stage…
  28. ^Mercuri, Monica. 'Salt-N-Pepa Miniseries Coming To Lifetime'. Forbes. Retrieved 2019-04-25.
  29. ^Kreps, Daniel (October 8, 2018). 'New Kids on the Block Set 'MixTape' Tour With Salt-N-Pepa, Naughty by Nature'. Rolling Stone. Retrieved June 27, 2019.
  30. ^Washington, Jasmine (2019-05-03). 'DJ Spinderella Announces 'Termination' From Salt-N-Pepa'. EBONY. Retrieved 2019-05-03.
Bibliography
  • Elafros, Athena (2007). 'Salt-N-Pepa'. In Hess, Mickey (ed.). Icons of Hip Hop: An Encyclopedia of the Movement, Music, and Culture. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press. ISBN978-0-313-08438-6.

External links[edit]

  • Official website
  • Salt-N-Pepa at AllMusic


Retrieved from 'https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Salt-N-Pepa&oldid=909260317'
'What a Man'
Single by Linda Lyndell
Released1968 (United States)
Format7-inch single
GenreSoul
LabelVolt
VOA-4001
Songwriter(s)David Crawford

'What a Man' is a song written by Dave Crawford, and originally recorded for Stax Records' Volt imprint by Linda Lyndell, whose recording reached No. 50 on the BillboardR&B chart in 1968. The song was sampled and reinterpreted as 'Whatta Man' in 1993 by Salt-n-Pepa with En Vogue; the version became a commercial success, reaching the top ten in Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States. In 2011, the German singer Lena Meyer-Landrut (credited as Lena) covered the song while retaining the original title and lyrics.

  • 2Salt-n-Pepa and En Vogue versions
    • 2.9Charts and certifications
  • 3Lena version

Early versions[edit]

Linda Lyndell, a white singer who had been a support act with James Brown and Ike & Tina Turner and then recommended to Stax Records by Otis Redding, recorded 'What a Man'.[1] The song was essentially improvised by Lyndell, record producer Dave Crawford, and the Stax studio musicians in Memphis, Tennessee. It was released as a single in 1968 with the B-side track 'I Don't Know'; both songs were credited to and produced by Dave Crawford.[2] The single entered the BillboardHot Rhythm & Blues Singles chart on August 24, 1968 and then peaked at number 50.[3] The record came to the attention of white supremacists in the Ku Klux Klan, who threatened Lyndell for associating with black musicians; as a result, she largely withdrew from the music business for the next 25 years.[1]

Laura Lee covered the song, released in 1970 as a single by the Cotillion Records with 'Separation Line' as the B-side track.[4] Lee's version earned poor sales.[5]

Salt-n-Pepa and En Vogue versions[edit]

'Whatta Man'
Single by Salt-n-Pepa with En Vogue
from the album Very NecessaryandRunaway Love
ReleasedDecember 2, 1993
Format
RecordedAugust 1993[6]
Genre
Length4:42
LabelNext Plateau/London
Songwriter(s)
Salt-n-Pepa singles chronology
'Shoop'
(1993)
'Whatta Man'
(1993)
'None of Your Business'
(1994)
En Vogue singles chronology
'What Is Love'
(1993)
'Whatta Man'
(1993)
'Don't Let Go (Love)'
(1996)

Production[edit]

In 1993, Salt-N-Pepa recorded the song retitled 'Whatta Man' for Runaway Love, an EP by En Vogue, who is credited as the featured group. Hurby 'Luv Bug' Azor wrote the rap lyrics and produced the version. Salt-N-Pepa sampled Lyndell's original recording and remade the song as a rap song throughout the recording.[7][8]

En Vogue sang the refrain of the song, 'Whatta man, whatta man, whatta mighty good man.'[9] While Terry Ellis and Maxine Jones sing intro, bridge, background and lead vocals, the song is predominantly led by Dawn Robinson. A pregnant Cindy Herron is only featured on background vocals. 'Whatta Man' became later featured in Salt-n-Pepa's 1993 album Very Necessary and then the album's second single released that same year. En Vogue sang the entire vocals on all original and remixed versions of this song, with the exception of the male vocals at the beginning of the song which were performed by brothers Troy and John Mitchell of the rap group 3 Feet.

Critical reception[edit]

The Gavin Report wrote about the song: 'Whatta concept, pairing these goddesses of hip-hop with a killer track and some of the best lines heard in a long time. Though it was getting a healthy number of spins in several markets late last year, it's now starting to bust big.'[10]

Commercial performance[edit]

'Whatta Man' was a major hit for Salt-N-Pepa and En Vogue, peaking at number three on the Billboard Hot 100, and at number seven on the UK Singles Chart. In the US, this version was certified platinum.[11] It was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best R&B Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group and the American Music Award for Favorite Soul/R&B Single. 'Whatta Man' was ranked number 23 on VH1's countdown of the 100 Greatest Songs of the 1990s.

Lyrics analyses[edit]

Richard Harrington of The Washington Post interprets the song as 'a celebration of strong men who stay home and care for kids.'[12] Garth Baker-Fletcher, an Associate Professor of Religion from Texas College, interpreted the version's refrain as 'praising a steady-thinking, family-values-yet-sexy man.'[9] Writer Keith Boykin described the song portion, 'Although most men are hos / He flows on the down low / Cuz I never heard about him with another girl,' as if 'rather than praise his faithfulness, the artists appreciate his discretion, while tacitly acknowledging his cheating.' Moreover, Boykin said that 'another girl' refers to Salt-N-Pepa's considerations of 'heterosexual infidelity' and as if 'some women [...] were publicly excusing their men for their down low behavior.'[13]

Music videos[edit]

A music video was released on the week ending January 17, 1994[14] to promote the single. Tupac Shakur and Treach from Naughty by Nature make cameo appearances. The single's music video, directed by Matthew Rolston and filmed by cinematographer Derek M. Allen, won three MTV Video Music Awards: Best Dance Video, Best R&B Video, and Best Choreography in 1994.[citation needed] A New York magazine journalist Dinitia Smith wrote about the video: 'Salt-N-Pepa have [sic] a warmth and sexual heat that make Madonna seem contrived and mechanical.'[14]

Salt-n-Pepa later recorded a variation on their own, with slightly rewritten lyrics, for another music video as the one-time segment of Monday Night Football. In the Monday music video, the two women wearing tight short-sleeved clothes, including T-shirts containing their respective logos of two opposing teams, are seen in a gym complimenting two football players of their respective teams,[15][16] one white and one black, for the men's bodies and weight training efforts.[16] In contrast, the lyrics of the Monday Night Football music video say that 'their man 'likes pushin'[,] spends quality ball with the fellas,' and 'takes a big hit, 'cause he's a real man.' According to academic Nick Trujillo of California State University, Sacramento, the rap song may associate hypermasculinity 'with combat sports such as [American] football.' He further said that the standard version has the women rather choose men who do not play football but are good parental candidates and are comfortable with their masculinities, while the Monday music video 'not only objectifie[s] football players as sex objects but also reinforce[s] stereotypes of black men as sexual performers and white men as loving fathers.'[16]

Impact and legacy[edit]

The Village Voice listed 'Whatta Man' number 99 in their list of 'Top Singles Of The 90's' in 1999.[1]

Awards and nominations[edit]

Salt N Pepa Very Necessary Rar Files Free

YearAward
1994Won MTV Video Music Awards for Best Dance Video, Best R&B Video, and Best Choreography for 'Whatta Man'.
1995Nominated for an American Music Award for Favorite Soul/R&B Single ('Whatta Man').
1995Nominated for a Grammy Award for Best R&B Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group ('Whatta Man').

Track listing[edit]

Maxi-single

  1. 'Whatta Man' (Video remix)
  2. 'Whatta Man' (Luvbug remix)
  3. 'Whatta Man' (12' Danny D remix)
  4. 'Push It' (remix)
  5. 'Let's Talk About AIDS'

Charts and certifications[edit]

Weekly charts[edit]

Chart (1993–1994)Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[17]2
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[18]27
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[19]34
Canada Top Singles (RPM)[20]13
Canada Dance/Urban (RPM)[21]4
Denmark (IFPI)[22]19
Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)[23]18
France (SNEP)[24]28
Germany (Official German Charts)[25]39
Iceland (Íslenski Listinn Topp 40)[26]40
Ireland (IRMA)[27]12
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[28]14
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[29]15
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[30]10
Scotland (Official Charts Company)[31]11
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[32]37
UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[33]7
US Billboard Hot 100[34]3
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[35]3
US Hot Rap Songs (Billboard)[36]1
US Mainstream Top 40 (Billboard)[37]10
US Rhythmic (Billboard)[38]1
US Cash Box Top 100[39]5

Year-end charts[edit]

Chart (1994)Position
Australia (ARIA)[40]24
Canada Dance/Urban (RPM)[41]40
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[42]38
US Billboard Hot 100[43]14
US Cash Box[44]28

Certifications[edit]

RegionCertificationCertified units/Sales
Australia (ARIA)[40]Platinum70,000^
New Zealand (RMNZ)[45]Gold5,000*
United Kingdom (BPI)[46]Silver200,000
United States (RIAA)[47]Platinum1,000,000^

*sales figures based on certification alone
^shipments figures based on certification alone
sales+streaming figures based on certification alone

Lena version[edit]

'What a Man'
Single by Lena
from the album Good News Platinum edition
Released2 September 2011
Format
Recorded2011
GenrePop
Length2:54
LabelUniversal Music
Songwriter(s)David Crawford
Lena singles chronology
'Taken by a Stranger'
(2011)
'What a Man'
(2011)
'Stardust'
(2012)

The 1968 Linda Lyndell/David Crawford version of the song was also covered by German singer Lena Meyer-Landrut as the theme song to the 2011 German film What a Man. It is featured on the Platinum edition her second studio album Good News, it will also feature on the Soundtrack for the movie. It was released on 2 September 2011 as CD single and Digital download in Germany, reaching number 21 on the German Singles Chart.

Background[edit]

The single was released on 2 September 2011 for digital download on iTunes, the single included a Live version of the song 'Good News'. The song will be the theme song to the German movie What a Man.

Music video[edit]

A music video to accompany the release of 'What a Man' was first released onto YouTube on 30 August 2011 at a total length of three minutes. The video features actor Matthias Schweighöfer.[48]

Salt-n-pepa members

Track listings[edit]

Digital download[49]
No.TitleLength
1.'What a Man'2:54
2.'Good News' (Live)3:24

Charts[edit]

Chart (2011)Peak
position
Germany (Official German Charts)[50]21

Release history[edit]

RegionDateLabelFormat
Germany2 September 2011[49]Universal MusicDigital download

Other cover versions and uses[edit]

The television show Bill Nye the Science Guy features 'Whatta Brain', a parody of this song by En Vogue parody band En Lobe, in the episode 'Brain'. Australian rock band New Waver covered the song in 1994 and released their cover as a Cassingle. Funny or Die released a version of this song with Bruno Mars singing and acting out various scenes, such as arm wrestling scene with many men competitors.

The original 'What A Man' was performed in the movie The Sapphires and appears on the soundtrack album. It was used as Dan Wilson's intro music when he came up to bat for the Seattle Mariners. The Salt-N-Pepa version appears in a 2016 television commercial for Walmart.

A sub-unit of South Korean girl group I.O.I from Produce 101 sampled the hook of the Salt-n-Pepa version for their song 'Whatta Man,' which was released on August 9, 2016.

References[edit]

  1. ^ abAnkeny, James. Biography of Linda Lyndell. AllMusic. Retrieved December 2, 2016.
  2. ^'Top 20: R&B – Spotlights Predicted to Reach the Top 20 of the Top-Selling R&B Singles Chart'. Billboard. July 13, 1968. p. 70. Retrieved November 18, 2016 – via Google Books.
  3. ^Whitburn, Joel (2008). Joel Whitburn Presents Across the Charts: The 1960s. Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin: Record Research Inc. p. 242. Retrieved November 18, 2016 – via Google Books.
  4. ^Popoff, Martin (2010). Goldmine Standard Catalog of American Records 1948–1991 (7th ed.). Krause Publications via F+W. p. 70. Retrieved November 18, 2016 – via Google Books.
  5. ^Carpenter, Bil (2005). 'Laura Lee'. Uncloudy Days: The Gospel Music Encyclopedia. San Francisco: Backbeat Books via United Entertainment Media. Retrieved November 18, 2016 – via Google Books.
  6. ^'Updates from the industry'.
  7. ^Whitburn, Joel (2000). The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits. p. 215. Retrieved November 27, 2016.
  8. ^Dean, Maury (2003). 'Hip Rap Soul'. Rock 'n' Roll Gold Rush: A Singles Un-Cyclopedia. New York City: Algora Publishing. p. 468. ISBN0-87586-207-1. Retrieved November 27, 2016.
  9. ^ abBaker-Fletcher, Garth Kasium (2007) [1996]. 'Rap's 'Angry' Children'. Xodus: An African-American Male Journey. p. 147. ISBN978-0-8006-2918-2. Retrieved November 28, 2016 – via Google Books.
  10. ^Sholin, Dave. 'Singles'(PDF). Gavin Report. Retrieved April 15, 2018.
  11. ^'American certifications – Salt 'n Pepa – Whatta Man'. Recording Industry Association of America.
  12. ^Harrington, Richard (May 27, 1994). 'Salt-N-Pepa Taking Control'. The Washington Post. Retrieved November 28, 2016.
  13. ^Boykin, Keith (2005). 'Everbody's Doing It'. Beyond the Down Low: Sex, Lies, and Denial in Black America. New York City: Carroll & Graf Publishers. p. 44. ISBN978-0-78671-704-0.
  14. ^ abSmith, Dinitia (January 17, 1994). 'Straight Outta Queens: How Salt-N-Pepa Turned Rap on Its Head'. New York. pp. 32–33. Retrieved November 28, 2016 – via Google Books.
  15. ^Guttmann, Allen (1996). 'Erotic Athleticism and Popular Culture'. The Erotic in Sports. New York City: Columbia University Press. p. 83. Retrieved November 28, 2016 – via Google Books.
  16. ^ abcTrujillo, Nick (1995). 'Machines, Missiles, and Men: Images of the Male Body on ABC's Monday Night Football'. Sociology of Sport Journal. doi:10.1123/ssj.12.4.403. Republished in Contemporary Issues in Sociology of Sport (2001), edited by Andrew Yiannakis and Merrill J. Melnick. pp. 223–236. Champaign, Illinois: Human Kinetics Inc. Reference to Salt-n-Pepa version is found in pp. 232–233.
  17. ^'Australian-charts.com – Salt 'N' Pepa feat. En Vogue – Whatta Man'. ARIA Top 50 Singles.
  18. ^'Austriancharts.at – Salt 'N' Pepa feat. En Vogue – Whatta Man' (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40.
  19. ^'Ultratop.be – Salt 'N' Pepa feat. En Vogue – Whatta Man' (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
  20. ^'Top RPM Singles: Issue 2421.' RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved August 7, 2019.
  21. ^'Top RPM Dance/Urban: Issue 2395.' RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved August 7, 2019.
  22. ^Danish Singles Chart 15 April 1994
  23. ^'Eurochart Hot 100 Singles'(PDF). Music & Media. April 2, 1994. Retrieved March 30, 2018.
  24. ^'Lescharts.com – Salt 'N' Pepa feat. En Vogue – Whatta Man' (in French). Les classement single.
  25. ^'Offiziellecharts.de – Salt 'N' Pepa feat. En Vogue – Whatta Man'. GfK Entertainment Charts.
  26. ^'Íslenski Listinn Topp 40 (19.05.1994 - 25.05.1994)'(PDF). Dagblaðið Vísir - Tónlist. Retrieved March 30, 2018.
  27. ^'The Irish Charts – Search Results – Whatta Man'. Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved August 7, 2019.
  28. ^ 'Nederlandse Top 40 – week 19, 1994' (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40
  29. ^'Dutchcharts.nl – Salt 'N' Pepa feat. En Vogue – Whatta Man' (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
  30. ^'Charts.nz – Salt 'N' Pepa feat. En Vogue – Whatta Man'. Top 40 Singles.
  31. ^'Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100'. Official Charts Company.
  32. ^'Swedishcharts.com – Salt 'N' Pepa feat. En Vogue – Whatta Man'. Singles Top 100.
  33. ^'Official Singles Chart Top 100'. Official Charts Company.
  34. ^'Salt-N-Pepa Chart History (Hot 100)'. Billboard.
  35. ^'Salt-N-Pepa Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)'. Billboard.
  36. ^'Salt-N-Pepa Chart History (Hot Rap Songs)'. Billboard.
  37. ^'Salt-N-Pepa Chart History (Pop Songs)'. Billboard.
  38. ^'Salt-N-Pepa Chart History (Rhythmic)'. Billboard.
  39. ^Cash Box Top 100 Singles, April 9, 1994
  40. ^ ab'1994 ARIA Singles Chart'. ARIA. Retrieved August 7, 2019.
  41. ^'Top 50 Dance Tracks of 1994'. RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved August 7, 2019.
  42. ^'End of Year Charts 1994'. Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved August 7, 2019.
  43. ^'Billboard Top 100 – 1994'. Retrieved August 27, 2010.
  44. ^Cash Box Year-End Charts: Top 100 Pop Singles, December 31, 1994
  45. ^'New Zealand single certifications – Salt N Pepa – Whatta Man'. Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved August 7, 2019.
  46. ^'British single certifications – Salt N Pepa ft En Vogue – Whatta Man'. British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved August 7, 2019.Select singles in the Format field.Select Silver in the Certification field.Type Whatta Man in the 'Search BPI Awards' field and then press Enter.
  47. ^'American single certifications – Salt 'N Pepa – Whatta Man'. Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved August 7, 2019.If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Single, then click SEARCH.
  48. ^'Lena - What A Man'.
  49. ^ ab'What a Man - Single von Lena'. iTunes.
  50. ^'Offiziellecharts.de – Lena – What a Man'. GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved August 7, 2019.

External links[edit]

  • Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics
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