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Very Necessary
Studio album by Salt-N-Pepa
Released	October 12, 1993 (1993-10-12)
Recorded	1992–1993
Studio	Sound Trek (New York City) Power Play (Queens, New York) Royal Bayside (Queens, New York) Hillside Sound (Englewood, New Jersey)
Genre	Hip hop pop rap
Length	58:44
Label	Next Plateau London
Producer	Herby "Luvbug" Azor Steve Azor Sandra "Pepa" Denton DJ Wynn Cheryl "Salt" James De De "Spinderella" Roper Tommy "D.J. Grand" Shannon WEATOC, Inc.
Salt-N-Pepa chronology
Rapped in Remixes: The Greatest Hits Remixed (1992) Very Necessary (1993) Brand New (1997)
Singles from Very Necessary
"Shoop" Released: September 21, 1993 "Whatta Man" Released: December 2, 1993 "None of Your Business" Released: August 30, 1994 "Heaven 'n Hell" Released: 1994

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic
Christgau's Consumer Guide
Los Angeles Times
Pitchfork	8.5/10

Very Necessary is the fourth studio album by American hip hop group Salt-N-Pepa, released on October 12, 1993, by Next Plateau Records and London Records. As the group's last album to feature writing and production from their manager and primary producer Hurby Azor, it spawned four singles, including "Shoop" (their first top-five single on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number four), "Whatta Man" (featuring En Vogue, their second-highest-peaking single at number three), and "None of Your Business", which would earn the group their first Grammy Award, in the category Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group.

Very Necessary peaked at number four on the Billboard 200, and has been certified five-times platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), denoting sales of over five million copies in the United States. It is the highest selling album from the group.

Track listing

Notes

• signifies a co-producer
• signifies a remixer
• signifies an additional producer
• On international editions of the album, "I've Got AIDS (PSA)" is retitled "PSA We Talk".

Samples

• "Whatta Man" contains a sample of "What a Man" by Linda Lyndell.
• "Shoop" contains samples from "I'm Blue" by The Sweet Inspirations and "Super Sporm" by Captain Sky.
• "Heaven or Hell" contains portions of "Heaven and Hell Is on Earth" by 20th Century Steel Band and "Think About It" by Odell Brown & the Organ-izers.

Charts

Certifications

Notes

1. Tracks 1–10 and 13
2. Tracks 1–3, 5, 6 and 8–10
3. Track 5
4. Tracks 6, 8 and 9
5. Track 11

References

1. Considine, J. D. (November 19, 1993). "Salt-N-Pepa shows there's more to rap than violence and sexism @". The Baltimore Sun. Archived from the original on January 16, 2021. Retrieved March 9, 2020.
2. Birchmeier, Jason. "Very Necessary – Salt-N-Pepa". AllMusic. Retrieved January 19, 2020.
3. Christgau, Robert (2000). "CG Book '90s: S". Christgau's Consumer Guide: Albums of the '90s. Macmillan. ISBN 0312245602. Retrieved March 30, 2019 – via robertchristgau.com.
4. Hunt, Dennis (October 24, 1994). "Record Rack". Los Angeles Times.
5. Lobenfeld, Claire (June 11, 2017). "Salt-N-Pepa: Very Necessary". Pitchfork. Retrieved January 23, 2018.
6. https://bestsellingalbums.org/artist/11420
7. Very Necessary (liner notes). Salt-N-Pepa. United Kingdom: FFRR Records. 1993. 828 454-2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
8. Very Necessary (liner notes). Salt-N-Pepa. Australia: FFRR Records. 1993. 828543-2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
9. Very Necessary (liner notes). Salt-N-Pepa. Japan: FFRR Records. 1993. POCD-1121.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
10. Whatta Man (US CD maxi single). Salt-N-Pepa with En Vogue. Next Plateau Records. 1993. 857 391-2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
11. Shoop (US CD maxi single). Salt-N-Pepa. Next Plateau Records. 1993. 857 315-2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
12. Heaven 'n Hell (Australian CD single). Salt-N-Pepa. London Records. 1993. 857 391-2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
13. "Australiancharts.com – Salt 'N' Pepa – Very Necessary". Hung Medien. Retrieved December 23, 2019.
14. "Top RPM Albums: Issue 2400". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved December 23, 2019.
15. "Dutchcharts.nl – Salt 'N' Pepa – Very Necessary" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved December 23, 2019.
16. "European Top 100 Albums" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 11, no. 19. May 7, 1994. p. 12. OCLC 29800226 – via World Radio History.
17. "Offiziellecharts.de – Salt 'N' Pepa – Very Necessary" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved December 23, 2019.
18. "Charts.nz – Salt 'N' Pepa – Very Necessary". Hung Medien. Retrieved December 23, 2019.
19. "Norwegiancharts.com – Salt 'N' Pepa – Very Necessary". Hung Medien. Retrieved December 23, 2019.
20. "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved December 23, 2019.
21. "Salt-N-Pepa Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved December 23, 2019.
22. "Salt-N-Pepa Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved December 23, 2019.
23. "ARIA Top 50 Albums for 1994". Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved August 11, 2021.
24. "RPM Top 100 Albums of 1994". RPM. Vol. 60, no. 21. December 12, 1994. p. 19. ISSN 0033-7064 – via Library and Archives Canada.
25. "Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 1994". Billboard. Archived from the original on September 12, 2020. Retrieved December 23, 2019.
26. "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 1994". Billboard. Archived from the original on September 19, 2020. Retrieved December 23, 2019.
27. "Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 1995". Billboard. Archived from the original on November 14, 2020. Retrieved October 24, 2021.
28. "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 1994 Albums" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved July 16, 2021.
29. "Canadian album certifications – Salt 'N Pepa – Very Necessary". Music Canada. September 30, 1997. Retrieved December 23, 2019.
30. Crosley, Hillary (January 22, 2008). "Lil' Kim Parts Ways With Atlantic". Billboard. Retrieved April 10, 2014.
31. "American album certifications – Salt 'N Pepa – Very Necessary". Recording Industry Association of America. September 11, 1995.

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• 1993 albums
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