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Salt-N-Pepa exhibited a lot of growth on Blacks' Magic (1990), their third album and, by far, best to date. For their follow-up, Very Necessary, released a long three and a half years later, in 1993, the ladies delivered a fairly similar album. Like its predecessor, Very Necessary boasts a pair of major hits ("Whatta Man," "Shoop") and a lot of fine album tracks. Also like Blacks' Magic, Very Necessary is filled with strong, prideful rhetoric: femininity, sex, relationships, romance, respect, love -- these are the key topics, and they're a world apart from those of the gangsta rap that was so popular circa 1993. And as always, the productions are dance-oriented, with a contemporary R&B edge. Most tracks were produced by Hurby "Luvbug" Azor, though Salt is credited on a few, chief among them "Shoop." Very Necessary is just as impressive as Blacks' Magic, if not more so. The key difference is, Blacks' Magic was a striking leap forward for Salt-N-Pepa, who were somewhat of a novelty act up to that point, whereas Very Necessary is a consolidation of everything that had worked so well for the duo previously. Hence the lack of surprises here. Still, the raised expectations don't change the fact that Very Necessary is one of the standout -- and, for sure, one of the most refreshingly unique -- rap albums of its era.
© Jason Birchmeier /TiVo
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Dave Kelly, ComposerLyricist - Fingerprints, Producer, ComposerLyricist - Salt-n-Pepa, MainArtist - Anthony Robert Williams, ComposerLyricist - Styowlz, FeaturedArtist
℗ 1993 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Fingerprints, Producer, ComposerLyricist - Salt-n-Pepa, MainArtist - Anthony Robert Williams, ComposerLyricist
℗ 1993 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Fingerprints, Producer, ComposerLyricist - Salt-n-Pepa, MainArtist - Anthony Robert Williams, ComposerLyricist - Steve Azor, Producer, ComposerLyricist
℗ 1993 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Fingerprints, ComposerLyricist - Dave Crawford, ComposerLyricist - En Vogue, Vocals, FeaturedArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Salt-n-Pepa, MainArtist - Cheryl "Salt" James, ComposerLyricist - Herby "Luv Bug" Azor, Producer
℗ 1993 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Fingerprints, Producer, ComposerLyricist - Salt-n-Pepa, MainArtist
℗ 1993 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Fingerprints, Producer - Salt-n-Pepa, MainArtist - Alfred James Ellis, ComposerLyricist - Tommy "DJ Grand" Shannon, Producer - Deidra "Spin" Roper, ComposerLyricist - De "Spinderella" Roper, Producer
℗ 1993 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Mark Sparks, Producer, ComposerLyricist - Ike Turner, ComposerLyricist - Salt-n-Pepa, MainArtist - Cheryl "Salt" James, Producer, ComposerLyricist - Otwane Roberts, ComposerLyricist - Sandy "Pepa" Denton, Producer, Co-Producer, ComposerLyricist
℗ 1993 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Michael Oliver, ComposerLyricist - Fingerprints, ComposerLyricist - Salt-n-Pepa, MainArtist - Steve Azor, Producer, ComposerLyricist - Styowlz, FeaturedArtist
℗ 1993 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Fingerprints, Producer, ComposerLyricist - Salt-n-Pepa, MainArtist - Anthony Robert Williams, ComposerLyricist - Steve Azor, Producer, ComposerLyricist - Dana Jr. Mozie, ComposerLyricist
℗ 1993 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Salt-n-Pepa, MainArtist - Cheryl "Salt" James, Producer, ComposerLyricist - Sandy "Pepa" Denton, Producer
℗ 1993 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Salt-n-Pepa, MainArtist - Cheryl "Salt" James, ComposerLyricist - David Wynn, Producer - Darren Callis, ComposerLyricist - Dave Wynn, ComposerLyricist
℗ 1993 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Salt-n-Pepa, MainArtist - Cheryl "Salt" James, Producer - Anthony Martin, Producer, ComposerLyricist - Michael Love (Replaced By 138810), ComposerLyricist
℗ 1993 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Salt-n-Pepa, MainArtist - Weaton Inc., Producer, ComposerLyricist
℗ 1993 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Mark Sparks, Producer, ComposerLyricist - Salt-n-Pepa, MainArtist - T. Colbert, ComposerLyricist - W.A. Robinson, ComposerLyricist - M. Whittle, ComposerLyricist - H. Boswell, ComposerLyricist
℗ 1993 UMG Recordings, Inc.
David Crawford, ComposerLyricist - En Vogue, Vocals, FeaturedArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Salt-n-Pepa, MainArtist - Herby Azor, Producer, ComposerLyricist - Al "Taz" Machera, Producer
℗ 1993 UMG Recordings, Inc.
David Crawford, ComposerLyricist - Andre DeBourg, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - En Vogue, Vocals, FeaturedArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Salt-n-Pepa, MainArtist - Herby Azor, Producer, ComposerLyricist - Al "Taz" Machera, Producer, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Ben Liebrand, Producer, Mixer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 1993 UMG Recordings, Inc.
David Crawford, ComposerLyricist - Andre DeBourg, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - En Vogue, Vocals, FeaturedArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Salt-n-Pepa, MainArtist - Herby Azor, Producer, ComposerLyricist - Al "Taz" Machera, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Dancin' Danny D, Producer
℗ 1993 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Paul Oakenfold, Producer, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Steve Osborne, Producer, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Fingerprints, Producer, ComposerLyricist - Salt-n-Pepa, MainArtist
℗ 1994 London Records Inc.
Mark Sparks, Producer, ComposerLyricist - Danny D, Remixer, StudioPersonnel - Ike Turner, ComposerLyricist - Salt-n-Pepa, MainArtist - Cheryl "Salt" James, Producer, ComposerLyricist - Otwane Roberts, ComposerLyricist - Sandy "Pepa" Denton, Producer, Co-Producer, ComposerLyricist - Darryl L. Cameron, ComposerLyricist
℗ 1993 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Mark Sparks, Producer, ComposerLyricist - Ike Turner, ComposerLyricist - Guru, Producer, Additional Producer, Remixer, StudioPersonnel - Salt-n-Pepa, MainArtist - Herby Azor, Producer, Executive Producer - Cheryl "Salt" James, Producer, ComposerLyricist - Otwane Roberts, ComposerLyricist - Sandy "Pepa" Denton, ComposerLyricist - Sandra Denton, Producer, Co-Producer - Kirin Walsh, Remix Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 1993 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Mark Sparks, Producer, ComposerLyricist - Ike Turner, ComposerLyricist - Salt-n-Pepa, MainArtist - Herby Azor, Producer, Executive Producer - Cheryl "Salt" James, Producer, ComposerLyricist - Otwane Roberts, ComposerLyricist - Sandy "Pepa" Denton, Producer, Co-Producer, ComposerLyricist
℗ 1993 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Mark Sparks, Producer, ComposerLyricist - Ike Turner, ComposerLyricist - Salt-n-Pepa, MainArtist - Herby Azor, Producer, Executive Producer - Cheryl "Salt" James, Producer, ComposerLyricist - Otwane Roberts, ComposerLyricist - Sandy "Pepa" Denton, Producer, Co-Producer, ComposerLyricist
℗ 1993 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Mark Sparks, Producer, ComposerLyricist - Ike Turner, ComposerLyricist - Salt-n-Pepa, MainArtist - Ben Liebrand, Producer, Additional Producer, Remixer, StudioPersonnel - Cheryl "Salt" James, Producer, ComposerLyricist - Otwane Roberts, ComposerLyricist - Sandy "Pepa" Denton, Producer, Co-Producer, ComposerLyricist
℗ 1993 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Michael Oliver, ComposerLyricist - Fingerprints, ComposerLyricist - Salt-n-Pepa, MainArtist - Al "Taz" Machera, Remixer, StudioPersonnel - M. Oliver, ComposerLyricist - Steve Azor, Producer, ComposerLyricist - Styolilz, Vocals, FeaturedArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Carron Hall, Remixer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 1994 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Salt-n-Pepa, MainArtist - Herby Azor, Producer, ComposerLyricist - C James, ComposerLyricist - Ben Liebrand, Producer, Additional Producer, Remixer, StudioPersonnel - The Invincibles, Producer
℗ 1992 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Salt-n-Pepa, MainArtist - Cheryl "Salt" James, Producer, ComposerLyricist - Bernadette Cooper, Producer, ComposerLyricist
℗ 1995 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Album review
Salt-N-Pepa exhibited a lot of growth on Blacks' Magic (1990), their third album and, by far, best to date. For their follow-up, Very Necessary, released a long three and a half years later, in 1993, the ladies delivered a fairly similar album. Like its predecessor, Very Necessary boasts a pair of major hits ("Whatta Man," "Shoop") and a lot of fine album tracks. Also like Blacks' Magic, Very Necessary is filled with strong, prideful rhetoric: femininity, sex, relationships, romance, respect, love -- these are the key topics, and they're a world apart from those of the gangsta rap that was so popular circa 1993. And as always, the productions are dance-oriented, with a contemporary R&B edge. Most tracks were produced by Hurby "Luvbug" Azor, though Salt is credited on a few, chief among them "Shoop." Very Necessary is just as impressive as Blacks' Magic, if not more so. The key difference is, Blacks' Magic was a striking leap forward for Salt-N-Pepa, who were somewhat of a novelty act up to that point, whereas Very Necessary is a consolidation of everything that had worked so well for the duo previously. Hence the lack of surprises here. Still, the raised expectations don't change the fact that Very Necessary is one of the standout -- and, for sure, one of the most refreshingly unique -- rap albums of its era.
© Jason Birchmeier /TiVo
About the album
- 1 disc(s) - 26 track(s)
- Total length: 01:43:33
- Main artists: Salt-N-Pepa
- Composer: Various Composers
- Label: Island Def Jam
- Genre: Hip-Hop/Rap
© 2023 UMG Recordings, Inc. ℗ 2023 UMG Recordings, Inc.
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