i was a big fan of girl groups when i was growing up.

i'm not talking about the spice girls (......i'll talk about them another time). i'm talking about three groups in particular that i've become re-acquainted with.

salt-n-pepa.



i swear that i was the only third grader who knew every word to "shoop." every word. of course, i had no idea what it meant; once i proved my rap skillz to my mother, i was promptly forbidden to have anything to do with them. naturally, being the "smokin hot [...] badass extraordinaire" (thanks sam!) that i am, i listened to them locked away in my room, discovering the joys of "whatta man" and "none of your business." i loved them so much.

then, as i entered the fifth grade, i discovered the newest girl sensation.

tlc.



i loved them instantly. another three-piece girl group who played with melodies and branched out into ballads, but they still kept everything laced with hip-hop. 1994's crazysexycool was one of the first albums i bought all by myself. with tlc, i learned about the group (as opposed to the way i treated salt-n-pepa: nearly faceless musicians who were here solely to entertain me). left eye was my favorite, so when she died a few years ago, part of my childhood died along with her. that stung something fierce.

my love for this new girl group prompted me to dig out my tape of salt-n-pepa that i had taped off the radio. "whatta man" stopped me in my tracks. not only did it kick ass, but i recognized the singers as a group that was becoming really popular... one that my fixation would rest upon as a result.

en vogue.



god they were cool. i can honestly say that i was the biggest en vogue fan in my middle school, if not my entire city. they kicked my ass with their powerful voices and their soulful harmonies.... and then they ripped it up with "free your mind." ohhhhhhh god i loved them. it's too bad they changed members more than lindsay lohan changes her hair color (..i'm reaching there, i know..), because their original four-person lineup was amazing.

so here, dear readers and devoted followers, are two of my favorite tracks from each group. enjoy them as much as i have... IF YOU CAN!

salt-n-pepa - none of your business
salt-n-pepa - shoop

tlc - ain't 2 proud 2 beg
tlc - no scrubs (rap version)

en vogue - free your mind
en vogue - giving him something he can feel