Salt-N-Pepa discuss "Let's Talk About AIDS" on World AIDS Day
Salt-N-Pepa discuss "Let's Talk About AIDS" on World AIDS Day
Video Transcript
- Let's talk about sex, baby. Let's talk about you and me. Let's talk about all the good things and the bas things.
- In other words, you guys were trailblazers is you were sexy in your own way and you weren't afraid, well, we had a song called Let's Talk About Sex. So obviously, we're not afraid to talk about sex.
- It's her favorite subject.
- There was the let's talk about AIDS remix. And it was like really important. Like what made you want to sort of go there we're talking about like your duality?
- You know what? Let's talk about sex. It was around the time that Magic made his announcement. And it got us really thinking and talking very intimately about three degrees of separation within the industry, and like really being careful and taking it seriously.
And then we had the song. But then Peter Jennings asked us to change it for a special he was doing on HIV and AIDS. And so I rewrote the lyrics and made it a PSA.
The thing about Salt-N-Pepa is we are trailblazers in a lot of ways. But one of the things that I really love about that particular moment is that people are afraid to talk about it at that time. It was very unpopular, unspoken thing, you know.
And we took it head on. And we remade the song, and we became advocates for AIDS and HIV awareness. And I think that's a huge part of our history something to celebrate.
Because like she was saying at the time, it felt a sense of obligation. I mean, we had, we started, you know, we've seen our audience how much it grew. Then we started seeing children in our audience.
And using our platform and having a voice, it was a great feeling to be part. And that's what Peter Jennings in to start what happened with him his daughter, or you know, his kid was listening to it. And he-- that's how he was like trying to understand, what it is that they're listening to?
But when you listen to the lyrics and the awareness that we were ahead of our time like promoting and, you know, like you said you advocating for this message at the time. And for him to change out, you know, let's talk about sex and let's talk about AIDS. It was a no brainer for us to have to get that message out.
And so if you just take the time to listen to the song, that's all it really was.
- But the problem is not talking about it.
- It's not talking about it.
- And having kids, you start understanding that I grew up with that subject being taboo, you know. My sex talk was not till you're married. So I got into a lot of trouble not having any understanding. And so it's important that, you know, you talk about sex.
- I remember my grandmother-- I remember my grandmother getting one Hickey you're pregnant. That was a fact. I remember that. Oh, God. I'm pregnant.
- That's crazy.
- So it's like it's telling you about the do's and you don't, how do you get it and how you don't.
- And being responsible.
- Yeah.
