Wikipedia

Whatta Man

"Whatta Man" is a 1993 song by Salt-N-Pepa featuring En Vogue. It was a major hit, peaking at number three on the Billboard Hot 100.

"Whatta Man"
Single by Salt-N-Pepa with En Vogue
from the album Very Necessary and Runaway Love
A-side"Shoop" (US)
B-side
ReleasedDecember 2, 1993 (1993-12-02)
RecordedAugust 1993[1]
Genre
Length4:42
Label
Songwriters
ProducerHurby Azor
Salt-N-Pepa singles chronology
"Shoop"
(1993)		 "Whatta Man"
(1993)		 "None of Your Business"
(1994)
En Vogue singles chronology
"What Is Love"
(1993)		 "Whatta Man"
(1993)		 "Don't Let Go (Love)"
(1996)

Production

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In 1993, American hip-hop trio Salt-N-Pepa recorded "Whatta Man" for Runaway Love, an EP by En Vogue, who is credited as the featured group. Freddy Foxx wrote the rap lyrics and produced the song, with Cheryl James (Salt) also credited as one of the songwriters. Salt-N-Pepa sampled Linda Lyndell's 1963 song "What a Man" and remade the song as a rap song.[4][5]

En Vogue sings the refrain of the song—"Whatta man, whatta man, whatta mighty good man"[6]—while a pregnant Cindy Herron is featured only on background vocals. Lead vocals are performed by Dawn Robinson, and Maxine Jones on ad-libs during the later part of the song. "Whatta Man" was later featured on Salt-n-Pepa's 1993 album, Very Necessary. The male vocals at the beginning of the song were performed by brothers Troy and John Mitchell of the rap group 3 Feet.[citation needed] The music video for the song was directed by Matthew Rolston.

Critical reception

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AllMusic editor Stephen Thomas Erlewine called the song "such a wonderful duet", noting that they deliver a song "so sexy it hurts".[7] Larry Flick from Billboard magazine wrote that the "fierce, ruling rap divas dip into their fine Very Necessary album and pull out this wickedly funky hip hop jam." He added further, "Loose and oh-so-appealing harmonies by En Vogue provide a kickin' framework for clever, lip-lickin' rhymes that melt into the track's butt-shaggin' beats. Destined to be an out-of-the-box smasheroo, single further benefits from Danny D's well-conceived remixes."[3] James Earl Hardy from Entertainment Weekly felt in his review of En Vogue's EP, Runaway Love, that the song "prove [that] these divas have more in common with the Emotions and the Sweet Inspirations than with the Supremes."[8] Dave Sholin from the Gavin Report commented, "Whatta concept, pairing these goddesses of hip-hop with a killer track and some of the best lines heard in a long time. Though it was getting a healthy number of spins in several markets late last year, it's now starting to bust big."[9]

James Hamilton from Music Week's RM Dance Update deemed it a "cooing gritty slow rap" in his weekly dance column.[10] Ted Kessler from NME named it Unstoppable Hit Single of the Week, writing, "This takes En Vogue's "My Lovin'", puts it in a car, drives it off somewhere hot, sunny and sexy, slows it down, feeds it loads of funky guitar and sewns in some sassy rapping about how the ideal man treats Salt, Pepa and Spinderella."[11] Gerald Martinez from New Sunday Times felt the song showed that En Vogue "can rap with the best of them."[12] People Magazine described it as "R&B-stoked".[2] Sylvia Patterson from Smash Hits gave it two out of five.[13] James Hunter from Vibe noted that En Vogue are "sounding proud as punch to play second fiddle, furnish Salt-N-Pepa with harmonic backdrops. It's a logical collaboration: En Vogue provide the sound of true romance that the rappers can better state than demonstrate."[14]

Commercial performance

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"Whatta Man" was a major hit for Salt-N-Pepa and En Vogue, peaking at number three on the US Billboard Hot 100, number seven on the UK Singles Chart and number six on the UK Dance Singles Chart. In the US, this version was certified platinum.[15] The song was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals and the American Music Award for Favorite Soul/R&B Single. "Whatta Man" was ranked number 23 on VH1's countdown of the 100 Greatest Songs of the 1990s.

Lyrics analyses

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Richard Harrington of The Washington Post interprets the song as "a celebration of strong men who stay home and care for kids."[16] Garth Baker-Fletcher, an Associate Professor of Religion from Texas College, interpreted the version's refrain as "praising a steady-thinking, family-values-yet-sexy man."[6] Writer Keith Boykin described the song portion, "Although most men are hos / He flows on the down low / Cuz I never heard about him with another girl," as if "rather than praise his faithfulness, the artists appreciate his discretion, while tacitly acknowledging his cheating." Moreover, Boykin said that "another girl" refers to Salt-N-Pepa's considerations of "heterosexual infidelity" and as if "some women [...] were publicly excusing their men for their down low behavior."[17]

Music videos

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Standard version

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A music video was released on the week ending January 2, 1994[18] to promote the single. Tupac Shakur and Treach from Naughty by Nature make cameo appearances. The video was directed by Matthew Rolston and filmed by cinematographer Derek M. Allen.[citation needed] New York magazine journalist Dinitia Smith wrote about the video: "Salt-N-Pepa have [sic] a warmth and sexual heat that make Madonna seem contrived and mechanical."[19]

Monday Night Football version

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Salt-n-Pepa later recorded a variation on their own, with slightly rewritten lyrics, for another music video as the one-time segment of Monday Night Football. In the Monday music video, the two women wearing tight short-sleeved clothes, including T-shirts containing their respective logos of two opposing teams, are seen in a gym complimenting two football players of their respective teams,[20][21] one white and one black, for the men's bodies and weight training efforts.[21] In contrast, the lyrics of the Monday Night Football music video say that "their man 'likes pushin'[,] spends quality ball with the fellas,' and 'takes a big hit, 'cause he's a real man.' "[21]

According to academic Nick Trujillo of California State University, Sacramento, the rap song may associate hypermasculinity "with combat sports such as [American] football." He further said that the standard version has the women rather choose men who do not play football but are good parental candidates and are comfortable with their masculinities, while the Monday music video "not only objectifie[s] football players as sex objects but also reinforce[s] stereotypes of black men as sexual performers and white men as loving fathers."[21]

Impact and legacy

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NME magazine ranked "Whatta Man" number 34 in their list of the "50 best songs of 1994".[22] The music video won an award in the category for Urban/R&B at the 1994 Music Video Production Awards in Los Angeles.[23] The Village Voice ranked it number 99 in their list of "Top Singles of the 90's" in 1999.[24] Q magazine featured the song in their list of "The 1010 Songs You Must Own" in 2004.

Awards and nominations

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YearAward
1994Won MTV Video Music Awards for Best Dance Video, Best R&B Video, and Best Choreography for "Whatta Man".
1994Won Music Video Production Award for Best Urban/R&B Video for "Whatta Man".
1995Nominated for an American Music Award for Favorite Soul/R&B Single ("Whatta Man").
1995Nominated for a Grammy Award for Best R&B Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group ("Whatta Man").

Track listing

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US maxi-CD single

  1. "Whatta Man" (video remix)
  2. "Whatta Man" (Luvbug remix)
  3. "Whatta Man" (12-inch Danny D remix)
  4. "Push It" (remix)
  5. "Let's Talk About AIDS"

Charts

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Certifications

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Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[66] Platinum 70,000^
New Zealand (RMNZ)[67] Platinum 30,000‡
United Kingdom (BPI)[68] Silver 200,000‡
United States (RIAA)[69] Platinum 1,000,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Release history

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Region Date Format(s) Label(s) Ref.
United States December 2, 1993
  • 12-inch vinyl
  • CD
  • cassette
 [69]
Australia February 21, 1994
  • CD
  • cassette
[70]
United Kingdom March 7, 1994
  • 7-inch vinyl
  • 12-inch vinyl
  • CD
  • cassette
[71]
Japan March 25, 1994 Mini-CD
  • London
  • FFRR
 [72]

Other cover versions and uses

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The television show Bill Nye the Science Guy features "Whatta Brain", a parody of this song by En Vogue parody band En Lobe, in the episode "Brain". Australian rock band New Waver covered the song in 1994 and released their cover as a cassingle. Funny or Die released a version of this song with Bruno Mars singing and acting out various scenes.[citation needed]

The Disney rap album Mickey Unrapped features "Whatta Mouse",[73] a parody of the song about Mickey Mouse. The song was also distributed at McDonald's locations in the UK in 1999 as part of an enhanced CD EP.[74]

References

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  1. ↑ "Updates from the industry". EW.com.
  2. 1 2 "Picks and Pans Review: Very Necessary". People. February 21, 1994. Retrieved March 9, 2020.
  3. 1 2 Flick, Larry (January 8, 1994). "Single Reviews" (PDF). Billboard. Retrieved January 31, 2020.
  4. ↑ Whitburn, Joel (2000). The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits. p. 215. ISBN 9780875862071. Retrieved November 27, 2016.
  5. ↑ Dean, Maury (2003). "Hip Rap Soul". Rock 'n' Roll Gold Rush: A Singles Un-Cyclopedia. New York City: Algora Publishing. p. 468. ISBN 0-87586-207-1. Retrieved November 27, 2016.
  6. 1 2 Baker-Fletcher, Garth Kasium (2007) [1996]. "Rap's 'Angry' Children". Xodus: An African-American Male Journey. p. 147. ISBN 978-0-8006-2918-2. Retrieved November 28, 2016 – via Google Books.
  7. ↑ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "En Vogue - The Very Best of En Vogue". AllMusic. Retrieved March 23, 2020.
  8. ↑ Hardy, James Earl (September 24, 1993). "Runaway Love". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved February 27, 2020.
  9. ↑ Sholin, Dave. "Singles" (PDF). Gavin Report. Retrieved April 15, 2018.
  10. ↑ Hamilton, James (March 12, 1994). "DJ directory". Music Week, in Record Mirror (Dance Update Supplemental Insert). p. 7.
  11. ↑ Kessler, Ted (March 12, 1994). "Singles". NME. p. 48. Retrieved August 13, 2023.
  12. ↑ Martinez, Gerald (November 15, 1998). "Top notch hits from Collins". New Sunday Times. p. 13. Retrieved March 12, 2020.
  13. ↑ Patterson, Sylvia (March 2, 1994). "New Singles". Smash Hits. p. 56. Retrieved December 29, 2022.
  14. ↑ Hunter, James (October 1, 1993). "Single File". Vibe. Retrieved March 2, 2020.
  15. ↑ "American certifications – Salt 'n Pepa – Whatta Man". Recording Industry Association of America.
  16. ↑ Harrington, Richard (May 27, 1994). "Salt-N-Pepa Taking Control". The Washington Post. Retrieved November 28, 2016.
  17. ↑ Boykin, Keith (2005). "Everybody's Doing It". Beyond the Down Low: Sex, Lies, and Denial in Black America. New York City: Carroll & Graf Publishers. p. 44. ISBN 978-0-78671-704-0.
  18. ↑ "Billboard Video Monitor". Billboard_(magazine). January 15, 1994. p. 32.
  19. ↑ Smith, Dinitia (January 17, 1994). "Straight Outta Queens: How Salt-N-Pepa Turned Rap on Its Head". New York. pp. 32–33. Retrieved November 28, 2016 – via Google Books.
  20. ↑ Guttmann, Allen (1996). "Erotic Athleticism and Popular Culture". The Erotic in Sports. New York City: Columbia University Press. p. 83. ISBN 9780231105569. Retrieved November 28, 2016 – via Google Books.
  21. 1 2 3 4 Trujillo, Nick (1995). "Machines, Missiles, and Men: Images of the Male Body on ABC's Monday Night Football". Sociology of Sport Journal. 12 (4): 403–423. doi:10.1123/ssj.12.4.403. Republished in Contemporary Issues in Sociology of Sport (2001), edited by Andrew Yiannakis and Merrill J. Melnick. pp. 223–236. Champaign, Illinois: Human Kinetics Inc. Reference to Salt-n-Pepa version is found in pp. 232–233.
  22. ↑ "Albums and Tracks of the Year". NME. Retrieved May 4, 2021.
  23. ↑ Russell, Deborah (December 17, 1994). "Satellite Films Honored For 'Closer'" (PDF). Billboard. p. 29. Retrieved June 3, 2025.
  24. ↑ "Rocklist.net..Jeff Brown's Village Voice Lists - Best of the '80's & '90's..." www.rocklistmusic.co.uk.
  25. ↑ "Salt 'N' Pepa feat. En Vogue – Whatta Man". ARIA Top 50 Singles.
  26. ↑ "Salt 'N' Pepa feat. En Vogue – Whatta Man" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40.
  27. ↑ "Salt 'N' Pepa feat. En Vogue – Whatta Man" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
  28. ↑ "Hits of the World: Canada" (PDF). Billboard. February 26, 1994. p. 42. Retrieved May 21, 2025.
  29. ↑ "Top RPM Singles: Image 2421". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved August 7, 2019.
  30. ↑ "Top RPM Dance/Urban: Image 2395". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved August 7, 2019.
  31. ↑ Danish Singles Chart. April 15, 1994.
  32. ↑ "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 11, no. 14. April 2, 1994. p. 18. Retrieved March 30, 2018.
  33. ↑ "European Dance Radio Top 25". Music & Media. Vol. 11, no. 15. April 9, 1994. p. 34.
  34. ↑ "EHR Top 40" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 11, no. 17. April 23, 1994. p. 33. Retrieved January 8, 2026.
  35. ↑ "Salt 'N' Pepa feat. En Vogue – Whatta Man" (in French). Le classement de singles.
  36. ↑ "Offizielle Deutsche Charts" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. To see the peak chart position, click 'TITEL VON', followed by the artist's name.
  37. ↑ "Íslenski Listinn Topp 40 (19.05.1994 – 25.05.1994)". Dagblaðið Vísir (in Icelandic). May 19, 1994. p. 20. Retrieved March 30, 2018.
  38. ↑ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Whatta Man". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved August 7, 2019.
  39. ↑ "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 19, 1994" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40.
  40. ↑ "Salt 'N' Pepa feat. En Vogue – Whatta Man" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
  41. ↑ "Salt 'N' Pepa feat. En Vogue – Whatta Man". Top 40 Singles.
  42. ↑ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart on 2/4/1994 – Top 100". Official Charts Company.
  43. ↑ "Salt 'N' Pepa feat. En Vogue – Whatta Man". Singles Top 100.
  44. ↑ "Official Singles Chart on 2/4/1994 – Top 100". Official Charts Company.
  45. ↑ "The Airplay Chart" (PDF). Music Week. April 23, 1994. p. 26. Retrieved May 23, 2025.
  46. ↑ "Dance Singles". Music Week. March 26, 1994. p. 24.
  47. ↑ "The RM Club Chart". Music Week, in Record Mirror (Dance Update Supplemental Insert). March 5, 1994. p. 4.
  48. ↑ "Salt-N-Pepa Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
  49. ↑ "Salt-N-Pepa Chart History (Dance Singles Sales)". Billboard. Retrieved February 8, 2022.
  50. ↑ "Salt-N-Pepa Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved February 8, 2022.
  51. ↑ "Salt-N-Pepa Chart History (Hot Rap Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved February 8, 2022.
  52. ↑ "Salt-N-Pepa Chart History (Pop Songs)". Billboard.
  53. ↑ "Salt-N-Pepa Chart History (Rhythmic Airplay)". Billboard.
  54. ↑ "Cash Box Top 100 Singles, April 9, 1994".
  55. ↑ "ARIA Top 50 Singles for 1994". ARIA. Retrieved August 7, 2019.
  56. ↑ "Top 100 Músicas Mais Tocadas em 1994". Mais Tocadas. Retrieved May 15, 2025.
  57. ↑ "Top 50 Dance Tracks of 1994". RPM. Retrieved August 7, 2019 – via Library and Archives Canada.
  58. ↑ "Jaarlijsten 1994" (in Dutch). Stichting Nederlandse Top 40. Retrieved November 29, 2019.
  59. ↑ "End of Year Charts 1994". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved August 7, 2019.
  60. ↑ "Top 100 Singles 1994". Music Week. January 14, 1995. p. 9.
  61. ↑ "Billboard Top 100 – 1994". Archived from the original on March 1, 2009. Retrieved August 27, 2010.
  62. ↑ "The Year in Music: Hot R&B Singles". Billboard. Vol. 106, no. 52. December 24, 1994. p. YE-34.
  63. ↑ "The Year in Music: Hot Rap Singles". Billboard. Vol. 106, no. 52. December 24, 1994. p. YE-38.
  64. ↑ "The Year in Music: Hot Dance Music Maxi-Singles Sales". Billboard. Vol. 106, no. 52. December 24, 1994. p. YE-76.
  65. ↑ "Cash Box Year-End Charts: Top 100 Pop Singles, December 31, 1994".
  66. ↑ "1994 ARIA Singles Chart". ARIA. Archived from the original on April 25, 2019. Retrieved October 28, 2019 – via Wayback Machine.
  67. ↑ "New Zealand single certifications – Salt N Pepa – Whatta Man". Radioscope. Retrieved July 17, 2025. Type Whatta Man in the "Search:" field and press Enter.
  68. ↑ "British single certifications – Salt N Pepa ft En Vogue – Whatta Man". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved September 3, 2020. Select singles in the Formats field. Type Whatta Man Salt N Pepa ft En Vogue in the "Search:" field.
  69. 1 2 "American single certifications – Salt 'N Pepa – Whatta Man". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved August 7, 2019.
  70. ↑ "New Release Summary – Product Available from : 21/2/94: Singles". The ARIA Report. No. 210. February 20, 1994. p. 20.
  71. ↑ "Single Releases". Music Week. March 5, 1994. p. 21.
  72. ↑ "ホワット・ア・マン | ソルト・ン・ペパ" [Whatta Man | Salt n Pepa] (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved September 12, 2023.
  73. ↑ "Mickey Unrapped – Various Artists | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic.
  74. ↑ "Whatta Mouse". MusicBrainz.
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