Let's Talk About Sex

On November 7, 1991, basketball star Magic Johnson dropped the bombshell that he was HIV-positive, becoming the biggest star to announce that he had the virus that causes AIDS. Two weeks later, "Let's Talk About Sex," reached its peak position of #13 in the US. It was the right song for the right time; a track that opens a dialogue about the dangers of unprotected sex, asking for a frank discussion in plain terms. In the first verse, the rappers trade rhymes about how they're going to broach the subject, and in the second verse, they tell a cautionary tale about a woman who has sex with a number of high-profile men, but is left feeling empty and used. The third verse is where it gets graphic: the couple have unprotected sex and he leaves her with a nasty condition, as "sores pours and stuff falls down your drawers." That will make you think twice about wearing a condom.

Blacks' Magic was the group's third album, and one where they moved beyond "Push It" to make statements about empowerment and social issues. Sex is the big topic, but it's covered with more nuance. "It's such a hush hush word and no one wants to communicate, but that's our thing," Pepa told NME. "There's a lot of problems back home connected with sex. Kids are growing up in difficult times and it's good for them to talk about it, good for them hear people talking about it." In the same interview, Salt added, "It's a broad subject and there's so many ways you can talk about it. In a relationship you should talk about sex with your partner, he might like something or you might like something, it's good to be open about it."

Like most Salt-N-Pepa songs, this song was written by their producer, Hurby "Luv Bug" Azor. He had a talent for tapping into the sounds and stories of the day, and using the group to express them. He isn't the first producer to command an artist's message, but he is a fairly extreme example considering Salt-N-Pepa's rise to become leading ladies of rap with songs about female expression. The group was often asked about their songs as if they had written them, and the girls typically answered the questions accordingly.