A Salt With A Deadly Pepa

Attempting to follow up the crossover success of “Push It,” Salt-n-Pepa hastily recorded A Salt With a Deadly Pepa, which essentially tries to replicate the charms of their debut without expanding on them very much. It doesn’t end up quite as engaging, and the duo’s limitations start to show themselves on the more underdeveloped material here. There are some good moments, but the album’s centerpieces are once again borrowed ideas. “Shake Your Thang” is another hip-hop remake in the vein of “Tramp,” this time of the Isley Brothers’ “It’s Your Thing”; there’s also a less-satisfying Isleys cover from a different era in “Twist and Shout” (which lifts the beat of Toni Basil’s “Mickey”), plus a rap take on Joe Tex’s “I Gotcha.” Elsewhere, “I Like It Like That” recycles the beat and brash shout-outs of “Push It.” Thankfully, the next time out, Salt-n-Pepa would rethink their music and assume much greater creative control. – Steve Huey