Blacks' Magic

Blacks' Magic is the third studio album by American hip hop girl group Salt-N-Pepa. It was released on March 19, 1990, by American Next Plateau 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 charts, and has been certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for over one million copies sold in the US alone. 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" (number 13 in the US, number two in the UK), "Expression" (number 26 in the US, number 23 in the UK), "Do You Want Me" (number 21 in the US, number five in the UK), and "You Showed Me" (number 47 in the US, number 15 in the UK).

Blacks' Magic
Studio album by Salt-N-Pepa
Released	March 19, 1990
Recorded	1989–1990
Studio	Bayside Sound, New York City Soundtrack, New York City
Genre	Hip hop
Length	52:48
Label	Next Plateau London
Producer	Excalibur Hurby Luv Bug The Invincibles Quicksilver Salt Spinderella Steevee-O, The Boy Wonder
Salt-N-Pepa chronology
A Salt with a Deadly Pepa (1988) Blacks' Magic (1990) A Blitz of Salt-n-Pepa Hits (1990)
Singles from Blacks' Magic
"Expression" Released: November 13, 1989 "Independent" Released: May 5, 1990 "Do You Want Me" Released: May 25, 1991 "Let's Talk About Sex" Released: August 31, 1991 "You Showed Me" Released: November 30, 1991 "Expression '92" Released: March 12, 1992

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[1]
Christgau's Consumer Guide	A–[2]

Track listing

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Producer(s)	Length
1.	"Expression"	Cheryl James	Salt	4:04
2.	"Doper Than Dope"	Fingerprints	Steevee-O, The Boy Wonder The Invincibles	4:21
3.	"Negro wit' an Ego"	Fingerprints	Hurby Luv Bug The Invincibles	3:40
4.	"You Showed Me"	Fingerprints Roger McGuinn Gene Clark	Excalibur The Invincibles	4:01
5.	"Do You Want Me"	Fingerprints	Hurby Luv Bug The Invincibles	4:52
6.	"Swift"	Fingerprints	Steevee-O, The Boy Wonder The Invincibles	4:04
7.	"I Like to Party"	Fingerprints	Salt Hurby Luv Bug The Invincibles	3:51
8.	"Blacks' Magic"	Fingerprints	Spinderella The Invincibles	4:16
9.	"Start the Party"	James	Salt	3:51
10.	"Let's Talk About Sex"	Fingerprints	Hurby Luv Bug The Invincibles	3:33
11.	"I Don't Know"	Fingerprints The Meters	Hurby Luv Bug The Invincibles	3:11
12.	"Live and Die"	Fingerprints	Quicksilver The Invincibles	3:07
13.	"Independent"	James	Salt	4:46

Personnel

Credits adapted from the liner notes of Blacks' Magic.[3]

Salt-N-Pepa

• Salt
• Pepa
• Spinderella

Additional musicians

• Jacci McGhee – special guest appearance (track 1)
• Joyce Martin – background vocals (track 4)
• Alpha – background vocals (tracks 5, 10)
• Omega – background vocals (tracks 5, 10)
• Hurby Luv Bug – background vocals (tracks 5, 10)
• Kid 'n Play – special guest appearance (track 11)
• Sybil – special guest appearance (track 13)
• Stanley Brown – all keyboards

Technical

• Salt – production (tracks 1, 7, 9, 13)
• Steevee-O, The Boy Wonder – production (tracks 2, 6)
• The Invincibles – production (tracks 2–8, 10–12)
• Hurby Luv Bug – production (tracks 3, 5, 7, 10, 11); album concept
• Excalibur – production (track 4)
• Spinderella – production (track 8)
• Quicksilver – production (track 12)
• Play – album concept
• Andre DeBourg – engineering
• Dana Dum – engineering
• Herb "Pump" Powers – mastering

Artwork

• Charles Lilly – illustration
• Faville Graphics – design

Charts

Weekly charts Chart (1990) Peak position Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[4] 65 UK Albums (OCC)[5] 70 US Billboard 200[6] 38 US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[7] 15

Year-end charts Chart (1990) Position US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[8] 62

Certifications

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA)[9]	Platinum	1,000,000^^
^^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

1. Huey, Steve. "Blacks' Magic – Salt-N-Pepa". AllMusic. Retrieved January 19, 2020.
2. Christgau, Robert (2000). "CG Book '90s: S". Christgau's Consumer Guide: Albums of the '90s. Macmillan. ISBN 0312245602. Retrieved March 30, 2019 – via robertchristgau.com.
3. Blacks' Magic (liner notes). Salt-N-Pepa. Next Plateau Records. 1990. PLCD1019.CS1 maint: others (link)
4. "Dutchcharts.nl – Salt 'N' Pepa – Blacks' Magic" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved January 18, 2020.
5. "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved January 18, 2020.
6. "Salt-N-Pepa Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved January 18, 2020.
7. "Salt-N-Pepa Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved January 18, 2020.
8. "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 1990". Billboard. Retrieved November 28, 2020.
9. "American album certifications – Salt 'N Pepa – Black's Magic". Recording Industry Association of America. April 14, 1992. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Album, then click SEARCH.