"Expression" | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Single by Salt-N-Pepa | ||||
from the album Blacks' Magic | ||||
B-side | "Clubhouse" | |||
Released | November 13, 1989 | |||
Genre | Hip hop | |||
Length | 4:04 | |||
Label | Next Plateau | |||
Songwriter(s) | Cheryl "Salt" James | |||
Producer(s) | Cheryl "Salt" James | |||
Salt-N-Pepa singles chronology | ||||
|
"Expression" is a song by American group Salt-N-Pepa, released as the lead single from their third album, Blacks' Magic (1990). The song was both written and produced by member Cheryl "Salt" James. It became the group's second single to reach the top 40 in the United States, peaking at number 28 on the Billboard Hot 100 while also topping the Billboard Hot Rap Singles chart, becoming their first song to do so. The single was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). In 1992 a re-release charted within the top 30 in Ireland and the United Kingdom and peaked at number 13 in France. The accompanying music video is notable for marking the directorial debut of director Millicent Shelton. [1]
Connie Johnson from Los Angeles Times remarked that "Expression" is written "with a power-to-the-individual emphasis", naming it "one of the wittiest rap tracks to emerge this year." [2] Terry Staunton from NME wrote, "A bold experiment combining rap and lovers' rock with a built-in tribute to their favourite rappers near the end. This is going to be bloody massive, Top Ten in matter of minutes." [3] Kim France from Spin described it as "a danceable, darn near perfect number that owes more than a touch to Chaka Khan's 84 proto-hip-house hit "I Feel For You"." [4]
Chart (1990—1992) | Peak position |
---|---|
Europe (Eurochart Hot 100) [5] | 99 |
France (SNEP) [6] | 13 |
Netherlands (Single Top 100) [7] | 76 |
UK Singles (OCC) [8] | 40 |
US Billboard Hot 100 [9] | 26 |
US Dance Club Songs ( Billboard ) [10] | 32 |
US Dance Singles Sales ( Billboard ) [11] | 6 |
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs ( Billboard ) [12] | 8 |
US Hot Rap Songs ( Billboard ) [13] | 1 |
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
United States (RIAA) [14] | Platinum | 1,000,000^ |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. |
"Expression (Hard Ecu edit)" | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Single by Salt-N-Pepa | ||||
from the album Rapped in Remixes: The Greatest Hits Remixed | ||||
Released | 1992 | |||
Genre | Hip house | |||
Length | 3:59 | |||
Label | Next Plateau | |||
Songwriter(s) | Cheryl "Salt" James | |||
Salt-N-Pepa singles chronology | ||||
|
"Expression" was re-released in 1992 as the first (and only) single from Salt-N-Pepa's remix album, Rapped in Remixes: The Greatest Hits Remixed. The song peaked at number 23 in Ireland and the United Kingdom and number 13 in France.
Chart (1992) | Peak position |
---|---|
Europe (European Dance Radio) [15] | 11 |
France (SNEP) [16] | 13 |
Ireland (IRMA) [17] | 23 |
UK Singles (OCC) [18] | 23 |
Salt-N-Pepa is an American hip hop group formed in New York City in 1985, that comprised Salt, Pepa, and DJ Spinderella. Their debut album, Hot, Cool & Vicious (1986), sold more than 1 million copies in the US, making them the first female rap act to achieve gold and platinum status by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). The album included the single, "Push It", which was released in 1987 as the B-side to their single "Tramp", and peaked within the top 20 on the Billboard Hot 100.
"Twist and Shout" is a 1961 song written by Phil Medley and Bert Berns. It was originally recorded by the Top Notes, but it did not become a hit in the record charts until it was reworked by the Isley Brothers in 1962. The song has been covered by several artists, including the Beatles, Salt-N-Pepa, The Astronauts and Chaka Demus & Pliers, who experienced chart success with their versions.
"Push It" is a song by American hip hop group Salt-N-Pepa. It was first released as the B-side of the "Tramp" single in 1987. Then released by Next Plateau and London Records, it peaked at number 19 on the US Billboard Hot 100 in early 1988 and, after initially peaking at number 41 in the UK, it re-entered the charts after the group performed the track at Nelson Mandela's 70th birthday concert, eventually peaking at number two in the UK in July 1988. The song has also been certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). The song is ranked number 446 on Rolling Stone's list of the "500 Greatest Songs of All Time" and was ranked number nine on VH1's "100 Greatest Songs of Hip Hop".
"Let's Talk About Sex" is a song by American hip hop trio Salt-N-Pepa, released in August 1991 by Next Plateau as the fourth single from their third studio album, Blacks' Magic (1990). It was written and co-produced by Hurby Azor, and achieved great success in many countries, including Australia, Austria, Germany, the Netherlands, Portugal, Switzerland and Zimbabwe where it was a number-one hit. Its music video was directed by Millicent Shelton. In 1992, "Let's Talk About Sex" earned a nomination in the category for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group at the Grammy Award.
"What a Man" is a song written by Dave Crawford, and originally recorded for Stax Records' Volt imprint by Linda Lyndell, whose recording reached number 50 on the Billboard R&B chart in 1968. The song was sampled and reinterpreted as "Whatta Man" in 1993 by the trio Salt-N-Pepa with En Vogue, which became a commercial success; reaching the top ten in Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States. In 2011, German singer Lena Meyer-Landrut covered the song while retaining the original title and lyrics.
"Buffalo Stance" is a song by Swedish singer-songwriter Neneh Cherry, released in November 1988 by Circa and Virgin as the first single from the singer's debut album, Raw Like Sushi (1989). The song peaked at No. 3 on both the UK Singles Chart and the US Billboard Hot 100, and it reached No. 1 in the Netherlands and in Cherry's native Sweden. An early version of the song appeared as the B-side on the 1986 Stock, Aitken, and Waterman-produced single "Looking Good Diving" by duo Morgan-McVey, which was made up of Jamie Morgan and Cherry's future husband Cameron McVey. The song, titled "Looking Good Diving with the Wild Bunch", was sung by Cherry.
This is the discography of Salt-n-Pepa, an American hip hop trio.
"Satisfaction" is a hip-hop song by American rapper-songwriter Eve, released on February 25, 2003 as the second and final single from the album, Eve-Olution (2002). Co-produced by Dr. Dre and his then-protégé Mike Elizondo, it was one of the last songs that Eve added to the final track listing of her album.
Hot, Cool, & Vicious is the debut studio album by American hip hop trio Salt-N-Pepa. Released by Next Plateau Records on December 8, 1986, it was the first rap album by a female rap act to attain gold and platinum status in the US.
"X Gon' Give It to Ya" is a 2002 song by American rapper DMX, released as the lead single from the soundtrack Cradle 2 the Grave. The song is also a hidden track on DMX's greatest hits album, The Definition of X: The Pick of the Litter and is a bonus track on European releases of his then-current album Grand Champ. It was written by DMX and produced by co-soundtrack organizer Shatek. It was his most successful international single.
Blacks' Magic is the third studio album by American hip hop group Salt-N-Pepa, released on March 19, 1990, by Next Plateau Records and London Records. A critical and commercial success, the album peaked at number 38 on the US Billboard 200 and number 15 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, and has been certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), denoting shipments in excess of one million copies in the United States. The album spawned four commercially successful singles, three of which reached the top 10 of the Hot Rap Singles chart; "Let's Talk About Sex", "Expression", "Do You Want Me", and "You Showed Me".
"Shoop" is the lead single released from American hip hop group Salt-N-Pepa's fourth studio album, Very Necessary (1993). The song was produced by group members Sandra "Pepa" Denton and Cheryl "Salt" James with Mark Sparks. Released in September 1993 by Next Plateau, the song became one of the group's more successful singles, reaching numbers four and five on the US Billboard Hot 100 and Cash Box Top 100, and topping the Billboard Hot Rap Singles chart at number one. Two months after its release, "Shoop" was certified gold by the RIAA; it went on to sell 1.2 million copies. Its accompanying music video was directed by Scott Kalvert. The success of both this single and the follow-up single "Whatta Man" propelled Very Necessary to sell over 5 million copies in the US, becoming the group's best-selling album.
"You Showed Me" is a song written by Gene Clark and Jim McGuinn of the Byrds in 1964. It was recorded by the Turtles and released as a single at the end of 1968, becoming the group's last big hit in the U.S. The song has also been covered or partially incorporated into other songs by a number of other acts over the years, including the Lightning Seeds, Salt-N-Pepa, Lutricia McNeal and Madison Beer.
"Your Body's Callin'" is a song by American singer and songwriter R. Kelly, released in March 1994 by Jive as the third single from his debut album, 12 Play (1993). The song, both written and produced by Kelly, peaked at number 13 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and reached the top 40 in New Zealand and the United Kingdom. Kelly also released a remix as a B-side to the single featuring Aaliyah called the "Your Body's Calling His N Hers Mix". Millicent Shelton directed the song's music video.
"Do You Want Me" is a song by American R&B-hip hop group Salt-N-Pepa, released in February 1991 as the third single from their 1990 album, Blacks' Magic. It reached No. 21 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and charted at No. 5 on the UK Singles Chart. The song also peaked at No. 9 in Portugal, No. 16 in the Netherlands, and No. 19 in Australia.
"None of Your Business" is the third single from American hip hop group Salt-n-Pepa's fourth studio album, Very Necessary (1994), released in August 1994 by Next Plateau. Written and produced by Hurby Azor, the song earned the group its first Grammy Award. It is included on the 1996 Barb Wire and 2000 Miss Congeniality soundtracks.
"Shake Your Thang" is a song by American R&B and hip hop group Salt-N-Pepa, released by Next Plateau Entertainment and London Records as the first single from their second studio album, A Salt with a Deadly Pepa (1988). The song features the Washington, D.C.-based go-go musical band, E.U. It samples "It's Your Thing" by The Isley Brothers and "Funky President" by James Brown.
The Best of Salt 'n Pepa is a greatest hits album by American hip hop trio Salt-N-Pepa, released in November 1999. The album featured tracks from their five studio albums, Hot, Cool & Vicious, A Salt with a Deadly Pepa, Blacks' Magic, Very Necessary and Brand New. A remixed version of their 1998 song "The Brick Track Versus Gitty Up", "Gitty Up" was released as a single and charted in the top 20 in Australia and New Zealand in 2000.
Rapped in Remixes: The Greatest Hits Remixed is a remix album by American hip hop trio Salt-N-Pepa. It includes remixed versions of songs taken from their three studio albums, Hot, Cool & Vicious, A Salt with a Deadly Pepa and Blacks' Magic. It is the third compilation released by the group in as many years and second remix album after their 1990 album, A Blitz of Salt-n-Pepa Hits.
"Pepas" is a guaracha song by Puerto Rican rapper and singer-songwriter Farruko from his studio album La 167. It was released as single on June 24, 2021, via Sony Music Latin. It reached No. 25 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number one on the US Hot Dance/Electronic Songs chart, becoming Farruko's highest-charting single to date. An official remix was released by David Guetta.