Hello, after all these male rappers these last months, it's about time women got a word in, that said they really didn't get a big foot between the door, i guess misandry doesn't sell as good as misogyny in a world abused by men. Nevertheless women did impact the hip hop world as we'll see the coming weeks.
Today's Artists are an American hip-hop girl group formed in 1985. 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. The group has been nominated for a Grammy Award several times, 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. Their success in rap and hip-hop culture has earned them the honorific title "The First Ladies of Rap and Hip Hop" . ....... N Joy
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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. This resulted in the single "The Showstoppa", an answer record to Doug E. Fresh's hit single "The Show" 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 film Revenge 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. 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. 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.
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 Deidra "Spinderella" Roper. The album was produced by Hurby Azor, Salt's boyfriend at the time and also the group's manager. 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 Francisco DJ 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. "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. The album ultimately sold 1.4 million copies worldwide. 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), 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.
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", 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" certified gold; "Let's Talk About Sex" certified gold, and later re-recorded as "Let's Talk About Aids"; and "You Showed Me". 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.
Salt-N-Pepa's fourth studio album Very Necessary was released on October 12, 1993 on London Records/PolyGram. The album featured songwriting and production by Salt, Pepa, Spinderella, and Azor. Buoyed by the hits "Shoop", co-produced by Pepa; "Whatta Man" (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", making them the first female rap act to win Grammy. The album is the best selling album by a female rap act.[
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 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 school hip hop music. She also periodically DJs at various clubs. The trio was disbanded for a total of five years.
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.
Since, Salt n Pepa have been cashing in their name performing here and there mostly as part of a package deal/tour. 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.
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One of the first albums to be released by an all-female rap group, Hot, Cool & Vicious is paced by its opening track, "Push It," one of the first rap songs to hit number one on the dance singles charts. Considering how little Salt-n-Pepa actually rap on "Push It," which is all about its instrumental hook, they maintain a surprisingly strong presence over most of Hot, Cool & Vicious. No, they aren't technical virtuosos on the mic, but their fairly basic raps are carried off with brash confidence and enthusiasm. Some of the other key tracks borrow ideas from outside sources: the single "Tramp" is a rap remake of the Otis & Carla soul classic, and "The Show Stopper" is an answer record to Doug E. Fresh's "The Show." The duo's sass comes across very well on "My Mic Sounds Nice" and "I'll Take Your Man," and they're equally assertive on "Chick on the Side." In the end, the album needs a little more weight to really come across well, but it's fun and danceable all the same.
Salt-N-Pepa - Hot Cool And Vicious (flac 254mb)
01 Push It (Remix) 4:26
02 Beauty And The Beat 4:44
03 Tramp (Remix) 3:30
04 I'll Take Your Man 5:06
05 It's All Right 4:10
06 Chick On The Side (Remix) 4:54
07 I Desire 3:53
08 The Showstopper 4:57
09 My Mike Sounds Nice 4:08
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Attempting to follow up the crossover success of "Push It," Salt-n-Pepa hastily recorded A Salt With a Deadly Pepa, which essentially tries to replicate the charms of their debut without expanding on them very much. It doesn't end up quite as engaging, and the duo's limitations start to show themselves on the more underdeveloped material here. There are some good moments, but the album's centerpieces are once again borrowed ideas. "Shake Your Thang" is another hip-hop remake in the vein of "Tramp," this time of the Isley Brothers' "It's Your Thing"; there's also a less-satisfying Isleys cover from a different era in "Twist and Shout" (which lifts the beat of Toni Basil's "Mickey"), plus a rap take on Joe Tex's "I Gotcha." Elsewhere, "I Like It Like That" recycles the beat and brash shout-outs of "Push It." Thankfully, the next time out, Salt-n-Pepa would rethink their music and assume much greater creative control.
Salt 'N' Pepa - A Salt With A Deadly Pepa (flac 239mb)
01 Intro Jam 0:40
02 A Salt With A Deadly Pepa 3:29
03 I Like It Like That 4:06
04 Solo Power (Let's Get Paid) 3:30
05 Shake Your Thang 3:58
06 I Gotcha 4:09
07 Let The Rhythm Run (Remix) (From "Colors") 3:25
08 Get Up Everybody (Get Up) 3:37
09 Spinderella's Not A Fella (But A Girl D.J.) 4:00
10 Solo Power (Syncopated Soul) 3:44
11 Twist And Shout 4:54
12 Hyped On The Mic 3:29
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Prior to the release of their third album, Blacks' Magic, Salt-N-Pepa were viewed as little more than pop crossover artists. Most of their singles had been rap remakes of old R&B songs, and they hadn't even rapped all that much on their biggest hit, "Push It," which got by on its catchy synth hook. But Blacks' Magic was where Salt-N-Pepa came into their own. It wasn't that their crossover appeal diminished, but this time they worked from a funkier R&B base that brought them more credibility among hip-hop and urban audiences. More importantly, they displayed a stronger group identity than ever before, projecting a mix of sassy, self-confident feminism and aggressive -- but responsible -- sexuality. The album's trio of hit singles -- "Expression," "Do You Want Me," and the playful safe-sex anthem "Let's Talk About Sex" -- summed up this new attitude and got the group plastered all over MTV. But there was more to the album than just the singles -- track for track, Blacks' Magic was the strongest record Salt-N-Pepa ever released. Even if there's still a bit of filler here and there, Blacks' Magic successfully remade Salt-N-Pepa as their own women, and pointed the way to the even more commercially successful R&B/pop/hip-hop fusions of Very Necessary.
Salt 'N' Pepa - Blacks' Magic (flac 354mb)
01 Expression 4:04
02 Doper Than Dope 4:21
03 Negro Wit' An Ego 3:40
04 You Showed Me 4:01
05 Do You Want Me 4:52
06 Swift 4:04
07 I Like To Party 4:35
08 Blacks' Magic 4:16
09 Start The Party 3:51
10 Let's Talk About Sex 4:40
11 I Don't Know 3:11
12 Live And Let Die 3:07
13 Independent 4:46
14 Expression (Brixton Bass Mix) 3:28
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Today's Artists are an American hip-hop girl group formed in 1985. 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. The group has been nominated for a Grammy Award several times, 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. Their success in rap and hip-hop culture has earned them the honorific title "The First Ladies of Rap and Hip Hop" . ....... N Joy
xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx
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. This resulted in the single "The Showstoppa", an answer record to Doug E. Fresh's hit single "The Show" 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 film Revenge 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. 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. 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.
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 Deidra "Spinderella" Roper. The album was produced by Hurby Azor, Salt's boyfriend at the time and also the group's manager. 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 Francisco DJ 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. "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. The album ultimately sold 1.4 million copies worldwide. 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), 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.
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", 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" certified gold; "Let's Talk About Sex" certified gold, and later re-recorded as "Let's Talk About Aids"; and "You Showed Me". 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.
Salt-N-Pepa's fourth studio album Very Necessary was released on October 12, 1993 on London Records/PolyGram. The album featured songwriting and production by Salt, Pepa, Spinderella, and Azor. Buoyed by the hits "Shoop", co-produced by Pepa; "Whatta Man" (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", making them the first female rap act to win Grammy. The album is the best selling album by a female rap act.[
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 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 school hip hop music. She also periodically DJs at various clubs. The trio was disbanded for a total of five years.
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.
Since, Salt n Pepa have been cashing in their name performing here and there mostly as part of a package deal/tour. 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.
xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx
One of the first albums to be released by an all-female rap group, Hot, Cool & Vicious is paced by its opening track, "Push It," one of the first rap songs to hit number one on the dance singles charts. Considering how little Salt-n-Pepa actually rap on "Push It," which is all about its instrumental hook, they maintain a surprisingly strong presence over most of Hot, Cool & Vicious. No, they aren't technical virtuosos on the mic, but their fairly basic raps are carried off with brash confidence and enthusiasm. Some of the other key tracks borrow ideas from outside sources: the single "Tramp" is a rap remake of the Otis & Carla soul classic, and "The Show Stopper" is an answer record to Doug E. Fresh's "The Show." The duo's sass comes across very well on "My Mic Sounds Nice" and "I'll Take Your Man," and they're equally assertive on "Chick on the Side." In the end, the album needs a little more weight to really come across well, but it's fun and danceable all the same.
Salt-N-Pepa - Hot Cool And Vicious (flac 254mb)
01 Push It (Remix) 4:26
02 Beauty And The Beat 4:44
03 Tramp (Remix) 3:30
04 I'll Take Your Man 5:06
05 It's All Right 4:10
06 Chick On The Side (Remix) 4:54
07 I Desire 3:53
08 The Showstopper 4:57
09 My Mike Sounds Nice 4:08
xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx
Attempting to follow up the crossover success of "Push It," Salt-n-Pepa hastily recorded A Salt With a Deadly Pepa, which essentially tries to replicate the charms of their debut without expanding on them very much. It doesn't end up quite as engaging, and the duo's limitations start to show themselves on the more underdeveloped material here. There are some good moments, but the album's centerpieces are once again borrowed ideas. "Shake Your Thang" is another hip-hop remake in the vein of "Tramp," this time of the Isley Brothers' "It's Your Thing"; there's also a less-satisfying Isleys cover from a different era in "Twist and Shout" (which lifts the beat of Toni Basil's "Mickey"), plus a rap take on Joe Tex's "I Gotcha." Elsewhere, "I Like It Like That" recycles the beat and brash shout-outs of "Push It." Thankfully, the next time out, Salt-n-Pepa would rethink their music and assume much greater creative control.
Salt 'N' Pepa - A Salt With A Deadly Pepa (flac 239mb)
01 Intro Jam 0:40
02 A Salt With A Deadly Pepa 3:29
03 I Like It Like That 4:06
04 Solo Power (Let's Get Paid) 3:30
05 Shake Your Thang 3:58
06 I Gotcha 4:09
07 Let The Rhythm Run (Remix) (From "Colors") 3:25
08 Get Up Everybody (Get Up) 3:37
09 Spinderella's Not A Fella (But A Girl D.J.) 4:00
10 Solo Power (Syncopated Soul) 3:44
11 Twist And Shout 4:54
12 Hyped On The Mic 3:29
xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx
Prior to the release of their third album, Blacks' Magic, Salt-N-Pepa were viewed as little more than pop crossover artists. Most of their singles had been rap remakes of old R&B songs, and they hadn't even rapped all that much on their biggest hit, "Push It," which got by on its catchy synth hook. But Blacks' Magic was where Salt-N-Pepa came into their own. It wasn't that their crossover appeal diminished, but this time they worked from a funkier R&B base that brought them more credibility among hip-hop and urban audiences. More importantly, they displayed a stronger group identity than ever before, projecting a mix of sassy, self-confident feminism and aggressive -- but responsible -- sexuality. The album's trio of hit singles -- "Expression," "Do You Want Me," and the playful safe-sex anthem "Let's Talk About Sex" -- summed up this new attitude and got the group plastered all over MTV. But there was more to the album than just the singles -- track for track, Blacks' Magic was the strongest record Salt-N-Pepa ever released. Even if there's still a bit of filler here and there, Blacks' Magic successfully remade Salt-N-Pepa as their own women, and pointed the way to the even more commercially successful R&B/pop/hip-hop fusions of Very Necessary.
Salt 'N' Pepa - Blacks' Magic (flac 354mb)
01 Expression 4:04
02 Doper Than Dope 4:21
03 Negro Wit' An Ego 3:40
04 You Showed Me 4:01
05 Do You Want Me 4:52
06 Swift 4:04
07 I Like To Party 4:35
08 Blacks' Magic 4:16
09 Start The Party 3:51
10 Let's Talk About Sex 4:40
11 I Don't Know 3:11
12 Live And Let Die 3:07
13 Independent 4:46
14 Expression (Brixton Bass Mix) 3:28
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I agree it's about time that some female hip-hop was posted, but I couldn't disagree more that "misandry" has anything to do with the genre's lack of success or anything to do at all with women rappers in general.
ReplyDeleteFemales in the rap world don't hate men the way men hate them, and I seriously doubt one can find anything even remotely comparable to the misogynist sentiments expressed in Eazy-E's or Eminem's work.
Hello DW, i didn't imply female rap success had anything to do with the lack of misandry, but sadly not the same can be said of male rappers who seem to be richly rewarded for their explicit misogyny. Seriously i wonder why there aren't female rappers that rap about incompetent men. The answer is obvious their music wouldn't be heard in a male dominated music world.
ReplyDeleteBut there have been songs aplenty written about idiot men, regardless.
ReplyDeleteBusy now, but will leave you a list sometime.
SP