Salt-N-Pepa

Released: March 19, 1990

Featuring: Kid ’n Play

Songwriter: Herby “Luvbug” Azor Joseph Modeliste Aaron Neville Art Neville Leo Nocentelli George Porter Jr. The Meters

Producer: Herby “Luvbug” Azor

[Yo, Play, I never expected that from you
A guy's entitled to one mistake, Cheryl
One mistake? That ain't what I heard (laughs)
Yo, what are you trying to say?]

Look, let me kick it to you like this
It's not that I don't miss your kiss
Well what is it?
I'm scared of gettin' hurt (what?), much afraid
Of who? Me? Come on, baby, don't try to play me
It's true
But you know that I feel for you
Yeah, I do but (what?) yo, Play, I can't trust you
Come on, why?
How could you stand there with a straight face and ask
I ain't the first or will not be the last
You got it all wrong, those days they all gone
Yeah right, I ain't goin' out like a pawn
Come on, you make it sound like I'm a little ho
Yo, let me tell you somethin', buddy

I really don't know
Oh, I get it, now I see
I really don't know
After all the time you spent with me?
I really don't know
All the good things that we had in our mind
I really don't know
First I was sad now I'm gettin' mad

[You gettin' mad?
That's right, mad
What are you gettin' mad about?
Yo, you better...yo, girl, I'm tryin' to tell you
I better what? Tell me what I did
Look what I've done for you, you are ungrateful
Yo, Salt, I'm tellin' you lead that's goin' to your head
Look how you...look how you dissed me
Aw...
Shut up]

Now how could you forget so soon
All the nights with dim lights in the bedroom
The things we said, the things we did
All the talk about the house, the cars, and the kids
Yo, I'm not sayin' those things didn't happen but
That was before I found out you was a slut
Rappin' to all the girls in and out town
It didn't take long for word to get around
Yo, if you walk out on me, I'll understand
And have to take my lumps like a man
You see, nobody's perfect, neither are we
Love is knowin' when to say you're sorry
Yes, and I apologize
You sure that's not a lie?
Yeah, cross my heart and hope to die

Just let me know what is it with you men?
And don't tell me it's a Tom and Dick thing
Is it a must you lust for every big butt?
You realize it caused the end of us?
Ok, it's understood, the things I did it wasn't good
Now can we live our lives like normal couples should?
Mmmm, no
No?!
Well, I mean, I still don't know, it may be a mistake
Don't think it's fake
I poured my heart out, and you still don't believe me?
Well go ahead then, you might as well leave me
I think you're right, though
I know I'm right
Yeah, so?
So what?

Yo, I really don't know
Come on now, I ain't gonna beg
I don't know
Didn't you hear a word I've said?

Yo, man, this ain't gonna work
Word, they're tryin' to play us like a bunch of jerks
Yo, I ain't gettin' on my knees for no one
I'm with you, true
Let's go have a cold one
Oh, you the dude

[Well, how'd it go?
Oh, I don't know
At least we're still friends...
Yeah, me, too, so what's goin' on tonight?
I got a date
Already? So do I
Oh yeah? That's great]

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.

more tracks from the album

Blacks’ Magic

From the album

Blacks’ Magic (1990)

Salt-N-Pepa popular songs

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Salt-N-Pepa

Blacks’ Magic