Shake Your Thang

Recorded at Bayside Sound and issued with go-go band E.U., the single paired Salt-N-Pepa’s vocals with a sample-heavy rework of The Isley Brothers’ “It’s Your Thing” and James Brown’s “Funky President.” Hurby Luv Bug is credited as producer. Released in 1988 as the lead single from A Salt with a Deadly Pepa, it became one of Salt-N-Pepa’s early signature records and a top 10 R&B hit. Its blend of rap, go-go, and feminist brashness helped define the group’s sound at the point when they were widening their mainstream profile. The track remained a recognizable Salt-N-Pepa calling card and continued to circulate through later use, sampling, and references in hip-hop and R&B culture. Its hook and backing idea tied Salt-N-Pepa to one of the period’s most durable sample sources, making it a lasting example of late-1980s rap crossover.