Very Necessary
Very Necessary is the fourth studio album by American hip hop girl group Salt-N-Pepa. It was released on October 12, 1993, by Next Plateau Records and London Records. The album spawned four singles, including "Shoop" (their first top-five single on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number four), "Whatta Man" (featuring En Vogue, their highest-peaking single at number three), and "None of Your Business", which would earn the group their first Grammy Award, in the category Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group.
Very Necessary | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | October 12, 1993 | |||
Recorded | 1992–1993 | |||
Studio |
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Genre | ||||
Length | 58:44 | |||
Label | ||||
Producer |
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Salt-N-Pepa chronology | ||||
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Singles from Very Necessary | ||||
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Review scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [2] |
Christgau's Consumer Guide | [3] |
Pitchfork | 8.5/10[4] |
Very Necessary peaked at number four on the Billboard 200, and has been certified five-times platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), denoting sales in excess of five million copies in the United States.
Track listing
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "Groove Me" (featuring Styowlz) |
| Herby "Luvbug" Azor | 4:21 |
2. | "No One Does It Better" |
| H. Azor | 3:53 |
3. | "Somebody's Gettin' on My Nerves" |
|
| 3:57 |
4. | "Whatta Man" (with En Vogue) |
| Azor | 5:07 |
5. | "None of Your Business" | Azor | Azor | 3:32 |
6. | "Step" |
|
| 3:10 |
7. | "Shoop" |
|
| 4:07 |
8. | "Heaven or Hell" (featuring Styowlz (Wink & D'dae)) |
| S. Azor | 4:43 |
9. | "Big Shot" |
| H. Azor | 3:47 |
10. | "Sexy Noises Turn Me On" |
|
| 3:54 |
11. | "Somma Time Man" |
| DJ Wynn | 3:25 |
12. | "Break of Dawn" |
|
| 3:45 |
13. | "I've Got AIDS (PSA)" |
| WEATOC, Inc. | 3:18 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
14. | "Shoop" (Danny D's radio mix) |
| 3:51 | |
15. | "Start Me Up" |
|
| 3:36 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
16. | "Let's Talk About Aids" |
|
| 3:30 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
16. | "Let's Talk About Aids" |
| 3:30 | |
17. | "Emphatically No" |
|
| 3:25 |
Notes
- ^a signifies a co-producer
- ^b signifies a remixer
- ^c signifies an additional producer
- On international editions of the album, "I've Got AIDS (PSA)" is retitled "PSA We Talk".
Samples
- "Whatta Man" contains a sample of "What a Man" by Linda Lyndell.[8]
- "Shoop" contains samples from "I'm Blue" by The Sweet Inspirations and "Super Sporm" by Captain Sky.[9]
- "Heaven or Hell" contains portions of "Heaven and Hell Is on Earth" by 20th Century Steel Band and "Think About It" by Odell Brown & the Organ-izers.[10]
Charts
Weekly charts
|
Year-end charts
|
Certifications
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Australia (ARIA)[25] | Platinum | 70,000^ |
Canada (Music Canada)[26] | 4× Platinum | 400,000^ |
United States (RIAA)[27] | 5× Platinum | 5,000,000^ |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. |
Notes
- Tracks 1–10 and 13
- Tracks 1–3, 5, 6 and 8–10
- Track 5
- Tracks 6, 8 and 9
- Track 11
References
- Considine, J. D. "Salt-N-Pepa shows there's more to rap than violence and sexism @". BaltimoreSun.
- Birchmeier, Jason. "Very Necessary – Salt-N-Pepa". AllMusic. Retrieved January 19, 2020.
- 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.
- Lobenfeld, Claire (11 June 2017). "Salt-N-Pepa: Very Necessary". Pitchfork. Retrieved 23 January 2018.
- Very Necessary (liner notes). Salt-N-Pepa. United Kingdom: FFRR Records. 1993. 828 454-2.CS1 maint: others (link)
- Very Necessary (liner notes). Salt-N-Pepa. Australia: FFRR Records. 1993. 828543-2.CS1 maint: others (link)
- Very Necessary (liner notes). Salt-N-Pepa. Japan: FFRR Records. 1993. POCD-1121.CS1 maint: others (link)
- Whatta Man (US CD maxi single). Salt-N-Pepa with En Vogue. Next Plateau Records. 1993. 857 391-2.CS1 maint: others (link)
- Shoop (US CD maxi single). Salt-N-Pepa. Next Plateau Records. 1993. 857 315-2.CS1 maint: others (link)
- Heaven 'n Hell (Australian CD single). Salt-N-Pepa. London Records. 1993. 857 391-2.CS1 maint: others (link)
- "Australiancharts.com – Salt 'N' Pepa – Very Necessary". Hung Medien. Retrieved December 23, 2019.
- "Top RPM Albums: Issue 2400". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved December 23, 2019.
- "Dutchcharts.nl – Salt 'N' Pepa – Very Necessary" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved December 23, 2019.
- "European Top 100 Albums" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 11 no. 19. May 7, 1994. p. 12. OCLC 29800226. Retrieved December 23, 2019 – via American Radio History.
- "Offiziellecharts.de – Salt 'N' Pepa – Very Necessary" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved December 23, 2019.
- "Charts.nz – Salt 'N' Pepa – Very Necessary". Hung Medien. Retrieved December 23, 2019.
- "Norwegiancharts.com – Salt 'N' Pepa – Very Necessary". Hung Medien. Retrieved December 23, 2019.
- "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved December 23, 2019.
- "Salt-N-Pepa Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved December 23, 2019.
- "Salt-N-Pepa Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved December 23, 2019.
- "ARIA Charts – End of Year Charts – Top 50 Albums 1994". Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved December 23, 2019.
- "RPM Top 100 Albums of 1994". RPM. Vol. 60 no. 21. December 12, 1994. p. 19. ISSN 0315-5994. Retrieved December 23, 2019 – via Library and Archives Canada.
- "Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 1994". Billboard. Retrieved December 23, 2019.
- "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 1994". Billboard. Retrieved December 23, 2019.
- Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010 (PDF ed.). Mt. Martha, VIC, Australia: Moonlight Publishing. p. 242.
- "Canadian album certifications – Salt 'N Pepa – Very Necessary". Music Canada. September 30, 1997. Retrieved December 23, 2019.
- "American album certifications – Salt 'N Pepa – Very Necessary". Recording Industry Association of America. September 11, 1995. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Album, then click SEARCH.