On this day in music history: November 3, 1987 - “Push It” by Salt-N-Pepa is released. Written and produced by Hurby Azor, it is the fourth single (fifth overall) for the Hip Hop/Rap trio from Queens, NY. In mid 1985, Cheryl James and Sandra Denton meet while attending Queensborough Community College. The pair also work at Sears along with another mutual friend named Hurby Azor. He asks the pair if they can rap on a project he is doing for an audio production course he’s taking. James and Denton agree, recording an response to Doug E. Fresh’s “The Show”. Dubbing the duo Super Nature, the song titled “The Show Stoppa (Is Stupid Fresh)” (#46 R&B) soon makes its way on the radio in New York City. The response is so strong that it’s released by Philly based Pop Art Records. Cheryl and Sandra are then signed to fledgling New York based dance and rap label Next Plateau Records. With this, the group change their name, and they become Salt (James) -N- Pepa (Denton), also adding Latoya Hansen (“Spinderella”) as their DJ. The trio stand out immediately, and don’t take long to make an impact. The singles “My Mic Sounds Nice” and “I’ll Take Your Man” perform well enough to warrant a full album. Before that happens, Hansen leaves and is replaced by Deidra “DeDe” Roper who becomes the new Spinderella. One of the tracks recorded for their debut album “Hot, Cool & Vicious” is a rap cover of Otis Redding and Carla Thomas’ soul classic “Tramp”. Needing a “throw away” B-side, they quickly record the up tempo track “Push It”. Initially released in March of 1987, “Tramp” becomes a sizable R&B hit, peaking at #21, but at first most pay little attention to the B-side. By Summer, “Push It” begins getting play in clubs, but doesn’t truly go overground until fate intervenes. In San Francisco, CA, a club DJ named Cameron Paul begins spinning it during his weekly gig at City Nights, and on his mix show on urban crossover power house KMEL. Paul decides to create his own remix, adding keyboards, another drum track and edits. Already gaining popularity on the station in its original mix, “Push It” explodes on local Bay Area radio with Paul’s remix. It is first issued by the DJ subscription service Mixx-It Records, Next Plateau then buys the rights to Cameron Paul’s remix, adding it to the album and releasing it as a single. “Push It” becomes a radio smash, peaking at #19 on the Hot 100 and #28 on the R&B chart. It propels “Hot, Cool & Vicious” past the Platinum mark in the US, and Salt-N-Pepa make further history when they are among the first group of artists nominated for the first Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance in 1989. “Push It” is later parodied on the comedy series “In Living Color” in a sketch called “Cookin’ With Salt-N-Pepa”, and is used to great comic effect when Salt-N-Pepa and Spinderella appear in a commercial for Geico Insurance in 2014. “Push It” is certified Platinum in the US by the RIAA.
