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ExpressionSalt-N-Pepa

Released: November 13, 1989

Featuring: Jacci McGhee

Songwriter: John Coltrane Cheryl “Salt” James

Producer: Herby “Luvbug” Azor Cheryl “Salt” James

Oh yeah, oh yeah
You know life is all about expression
You only live once, and you're not coming back
So express yourself, yeah

CHORUS
Express yourself, you gotta be you and only you, babe
Express yourself, and let me be me
Express yourself, don't tell me what I cannot do, baby
Come on and work your body

Now Joe wanna be like Bob
Bob got it goin' on with no job
And everything Rob got he got from Robin
And everything she got she got ho-hoppin'
My girl Jilly wanna be like Jackie
Fat rope chains and I think that's wick-wacky
Tom and Dick wanna be like Harry
Little do they know he's bitin' on Barry
Stan was a scam, but Vinnie's legit
Mercedes coupe hometroop with no kit
A businessman with a beeper for a reason
Not like Tim because it's in this season

CHORUS

Oh yeah, oh yeah
Hey Pep, you up next

Yes, I'm Pep and there ain't nobody
Like my body, yes, I'm somebody
No, I'm sorry, I'm-a rock this Mardis Gras
Until the party ends, friends
Yes, I'm blessed, and I know who I am
I express myself on every jam
I'm not a man, but I'm in command
Hot damn, I got an all-girl band
And I wear the gear, yeah, I wanna wear it, too
I don't care, dear, go ahead and stare (oooo)
Afraid to be you, livin' in fear (boo)
Expression is rare, I dare you

[Chorus]
Express yourself, you've got to be you, babe
Express yourself, and let me be me
Express yourself, don't tell me what to do, babe
Express yourself, come on and work that body

Oh yeah, oh yeah...
Yo, excuse us while we rap
Go ahead, girls, express yourself!

My party, your party, anytime drop in
Cold hip-hop is always rockin'
Don't you like it when the music drop
Jump, spread out, and stop?
Now bring in the go-go (uh-oh)
Look at how my butt go rock from left to the right
You wanna step to me, groove me
I know you wanna do me
Come on now, fellas, don't fight

At my door they're bum-rushin'
To hear the percussion
Sound of my go-go band
I've long ago learned my lesson
It's all about expression
Will the real Salt and Pepa please stand?
And...

Express yourself, you've got to be you, babe
Express yourself, and let me be me
Express yourself, don't tell me what to do, babe
Express yourself, come on and work that body

Express yourself, you've got to be you, babe
Express yourself, don't tell me what to do, babe
Express yourself, you've got to be you, babe
Express yourself, don't tell me what to do, babe

Express yourself, oh yeah, oh yeah
Express yourself

Salt-N-Pepa

Salt-N-Pepa is arguably the most successful female rap group of all time. The group began with Cheryl “Salt” James and Sandra “Pepa” Denton meeting while studying to be nurses. James got Denton a job at a Sears department store, where her boyfriend Hurby “Luv Bug” Azor also worked. Azor was studying music production and he asked them to help on a school project, an answer record to Doug E. Fresh’s “The Show” they named “The Showstopper” – recorded in 1985 under the name Supernature.

After the legendary Queens DJ Marley Marl played “The Showstopper” on his radio show, the group began getting booked for shows. One lyric in “The Showstopper” was ‘We the salt and pepper’, and people kept requesting ‘that salt and pepper song’, so they changed their name to Salt-N-Pepa. Deejay Deidra “Spinderella” Ropa was added soon after.

SNP’s debut album Hot, Cool, & Vicious originally spawned a minor hit in the UK with “My Mike Sounds Nice” in early 1987. But it was the re-release of a remix of “Push It”, originally a quickly-thrown together b-side for their fall ‘87 single “Tramp”, that shot the group into international stardom. The song reached the top 10 in eleven countries around the world in 1988.

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