Hot, Cool & Vicious received little attention until a San Francisco DJ named Cameron Paul created a remix of "Push It" (The b-side to "Tramp"). Mr. Paul's remix of "Push It", rereleased as a single, quickly became a national hit and was nominated for a Grammy, pushing both the single and LP to Platinum album status.
They released A Salt With a Deadly Pepa, which was only a minor hit, though it featured "Shake Your Thang". Their third original LP, Blacks Magic, which received generally positive reviews and expanded Salt-N-Pepa's fanbase among hip hop fans using more R&B. It included "Let's Talk About Sex", one of their biggest songs.
Salt-N-Pepa left Next Plateau and the influence of Azor released "Very Necessary", a largely self-produced album in 1993 (see 1993 in music), and it performed very well on the charts, buoyed by "Shoop" and "Whatta Man" (with En Vogue). In 1994, they appeared in the motion picture "Who's The Man?".
The less commercially successful single "None of Your Business," won the Grammy for Best Rap Performance in 1995. Since Very Necessary, both Salt and Pepa have focused primarily on their acting careers. They released their final album "Brand New" in 1997.
Despite their girl group beginnings, Salt-N-Pepa insist that they wrote many of the lyrics on their first album, and by Blacks Magic they displayed a sex positive, and responsible, feminism, and are often seen as innovators or role models.
In March 1999, Salt-N-Pepa embarked on their final live tour. Pepa (Sandy Denton) married Treach of Naughty By Nature on July 27, 1999. Salt-N-Pepa's greatest-hits album, entitled Salt-N-Pepa: The Best Of was released on January 25, 2000. Treach and Pepa were divorced on July 31, 2001. The group officially disbanded in 2002. Upon disbanding, Salt (Cheryl James) claimed she had become a born-again Christian, and would no longer be involved in hip-hop. However, all that changed when Cheryl announced that she would be releasing her first solo cd "Salt of the Earth" which later changed to "Salt Unrapped".
Cheryl James and Sandy Denton appeared on VH1's Hip Hop Honors in November 2004 without Spinderella. They did not perform.
In March 2005, it was announced that Sandy Denton would join Jose Canseco, Bronson Pinchot, Omarosa Manigault-Stallworth, Caprice Bourret, Janice Dickinson, and Carey Hart on the 5th season of the VH1 series The Surreal Life.
Salt-N-Pepa reunited on September 22, 2005, and gave their first performance in six years. They sang Whatta Man, along with En Vogue, as a part of VH1's Hip Hop Honors program.
Tramp
Salt-N-Pepa Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
So listen close to what I say
Don't take this a simple rhyme
'Cause this type of thing happens all the time
Now what would you do if a stranger said hi?
Would you dis him or would you reply?
If you answer there is a chance
That you'd become a victim of circumstance
Or else I'm-a have to show and prove
You are what you are, I am what I am
It just so happens that most men are
Tramp (what'd ya call me?)
Have you ever seen a dude who's stupid and rude?
Whenever he's around he dogs your mood
I know a guy like that, girl
He thinks he's god's gift to the world
You know that kind, excited all the time
With nothing but sex on the mind
I'm no stunt, on me he can't front
I know the real deal, I know what they want
It's me (why?) Because I'm so sexy
It's me (what?) Don't touch my body! (Boy!)
'Cause you see I ain't no skeezer
But on a real tip I think he's a
Tramp (what'd ya call me?)
On the first date he thought I was a dummy
He had the nerve to tell me he loved me
But of course, I knew it was a lie, y'all
He undressed me with his eyeballs
Trying to change the whole subject
'Cause everything he said pertained to sex
So I dissed him, I said, "you's a sucker!
Get your dirty mind out the gutter
You ain't gettin' paid, you ain't knockin' boots
You ain't treating me like no prostitute"
Then I walked away, he called me a teaser
You're on a mission, kid yo, he's a
Tramp (what'd ya call me?)
Tramp
"Tramp" is a classic song by Salt-N-Pepa that emphasizes female empowerment and the need for women to be aware of men who only seek to exploit them sexually. As the song begins, Salt-N-Pepa warn women to be aware because getting involved with the wrong person could be detrimental to their well-being. The song then goes on to describe a particular type of man β one who is rude, disrespectful, and sees women only as sexual objects β and the way in which he tries to manipulate and exploit women. However, the women in the song take control of the situation, asserting their independence and not allowing themselves to be objectified. Overall, the message of the song is clear β women need to be aware of the different types of men that exist, and they need to assert their own power and independence.
Line by Line Meaning
Home girls, attention you must pay
Girls, please listen carefully
So listen close to what I say
Pay close attention to my words
Don't take this a simple rhyme
This is not just a song, it has a deeper meaning
'Cause this type of thing happens all the time
This happens frequently in real life
Now what would you do if a stranger said hi?
What is your response to a stranger saying hello?
Would you dis him or would you reply?
Would you disrespect or respond to him?
If you answer there is a chance
If you answer, you risk being in a dangerous situation
That you'd become a victim of circumstance
You would be in a situation beyond your control
Am I right, fellas? Tell the truth
Men, agree with me and be truthful
Or else I'm-a have to show and prove
I will have to demonstrate my point if you don't believe me
You are what you are, I am what I am
We are who we are and behave differently
It just so happens that most men are
Unfortunately, most men act a certain way
Tramp (What'd ya call me?)
The term 'tramp', often used as an insult
Have you ever seen a dude who's stupid and rude?
Have you encountered a man who is both unintelligent and impolite?
Whenever he's around he dogs your mood
His presence affects your emotional state
I know a guy like that, girl
I have personally experienced this type of man
He thinks he's God's gift to the world
He has a delusional sense of self-importance
You know that kind, excited all the time
He is always enthusiastic, particularly about sex
With nothing but sex on the mind
All he ever thinks about is sex
I'm no stunt, on me he can't front
I'm not an easy target, he cannot deceive me
I know the real deal, I know what they want
I know his true intentions and desires
It's me (Why?) Because I'm so sexy
I am the target because he finds me attractive
It's me (What?) Don't touch my body! (Boy!)
But he cannot touch me without my permission
'Cause you see I ain't no skeezer
I am not a promiscuous woman
But on a real tip I think he's a
In reality, he is a
Tramp (What'd ya call me?)
A promiscuous man
On the first date he thought I was a dummy
He underestimated my intelligence on our first date
He had the nerve to tell me he loved me
He made a bold move by expressing his love after one date
But of course, I knew it was a lie, y'all
I knew he was not being truthful with me
He undressed me with his eyeballs
He made me uncomfortable by staring at me sexually
Trying to change the whole subject
He attempted to divert the conversation to sex
'Cause everything he said pertained to sex
All of his conversation topics were about sex
So I dissed him, I said, 'You's a sucker!
I insulted him, calling him a fool
Get your dirty mind out the gutter
Stop thinking about sex
You ain't gettin' paid, you ain't knockin' boots
I don't get paid to have sex and I'm not interested
You ain't treating me like no prostitute'
Do not treat me as if I am a sex worker
Then I walked away, he called me a teaser
I left and he insulted me by calling me a tease
You're on a mission, kid yo, he's a
He is on a mission to have sex and he is a
Tramp (What'd ya call me?)
Promiscuous man
Tramp
Promiscuous man
Lyrics Β© BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Jimmy McCracklin, Lowell Fulsom
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@ZariyaJ
So glad my dad put me on to old school hip hop classics when I was youngerπ€§π
@CJ_7519
#Zariya, your daddy taught you right.
@171TITO
Back when I was in high school, in the late 80's, we saw Pepa shopping for jewelry in Green Acres mall (Valley Stream, NY). It was summertime in the middle of the day and the mall was pretty empty. We were starstruck!
We were too startstruck to approach, so one of my friends decided scream out 'TRAMP'! She quickly looked back at us then started laughing. #memories
@allanya74
I grew up in Queens in the 80βs and I used to see them as well at Green Acres Mall. Many rappers back then used to shop there.
@vaughnwalker1840
I always thought green acres was queens
@notaytguru8214
@@vaughnwalker1840 green acres is in valley stream/queens boarder
@vaughnwalker1840
@@notaytguru8214 cool went there a few times as a kid.
@kspikes6010
After all of these years and I still remember the lyrics like yesterday!
@ShawnWhitsell
Me too and I never realized I ever knew the whole song until now. LOL
@melissascholfield1162
I know right!!! I mean every word including the dance moves