“We was on a dance floor shakin’ our thing
To a funky beat with a go-go swing
Everyone was watching, they stared in shock
Amazed at how Salt and Pepa was rockin the place
With a smile on my face
Some got upset and then tried to base
They called us nasty, said we danced dirty
Claimed we were freaks, cheap, even flirty
Pepa got pissed and pulled out a pump
I was all set not to jet but to jump
Spin broke it up and asked not to break
Said, “They don’t understand the way you”
When Salt N Pepa dropped their hit single “Shake Your Thang” from the A Salt With A Deadly Pepa album, people were in an uproar. The controversial album helped secure their spot as one of the most successful rappers ever and separated them from the pack of lady mic rockers on the airwaves. The record did so well that it earned them the honor of being the first female rap group to ever go platinum.
Never before did femcees touch the mic and exude such sexuality and femininity.
These two Queens natives didn’t care, and paved the way for sirens such as Lil’ Kim, Foxy Brown, Missy Elliot, Remy Ma and yes both Nicki Minaj and Cardi B by making songs that made the men not only want to listen but watch. Aside from how fine these ladies were (including Spinderella), what made them unique is that they did this without dissing or demeaning other women. Yet still when you go to YouTube for a little throwback Thursday party, their provocative dancing and shaking of their respective thangs still gets them in a whole heap of trouble.
But why?
Songs like “Shake Your Thang,” “None of Your Business,” “Express Yourself,” and “Let’s Talk About Sex” used their lyrical prowess to enunciate their rights to have a responsible but healthy sex life. It’s a move that few female emcees after have made. Surprisingly it seems like their songs, in particularly this one, still have people on alert. 20 years after its release, YouTube still slaps a warning before it plays on their platform that says “The following content has been identified by the YouTube community as inappropriate or offensive to some audiences.”
Check it out and tell us if you think its that bad?
Salt N Pepa has recently made history by being the first rap act to have a residency in Las Vegas in September 2018.
