Mixerr Album Reviews #302

This is Michael Mixerr. Today I will review the album Brand New by pop rap group Salt-N-Pepa. This album was released on Next Plateau Entertainment and Red Ant Records in 1997. As well as their own Jireh Records out of New York and VA. Chad Elliott was the main producer for this album. Male R&B quintet Day Ta Day were the male vocalists.

As I said before, Red Ant Entertainment was going bankrupt at the time and Salt-N-Pepa could not use a lot of the money and time to put in the effort from the promotions of the Brand New album. Brand New was set to go 2x platinum as the previous blockbuster album Very Necessary did. However, Brand New only sold 800,000 copies thus going gold. Brand New showed that Salt-N-Pepa failed to keep up with the new pop generation that pandered for boy bands. The styles and fashions were changing as they usually do.


R U Ready? was an updated continuation version of My Mic Sounds Nice from 1988. It was a latter continuation to put it bluntly. I love the live acoustic drum beats. They fit in well with the live instrumentation. Salt is head MC of this song. Pepa is in the background I believe. The song is perfect for a 1997 pop single. It is a well memorable song. The song is conducted very nicely. Al West composed R U Ready? for those who didn't know.

Do Me Right has that West Coast funk gangsta rap sound in production. Very similar to the production style of DJ Battlecat. If this song was released as a single in 1994, then the song would have gained more leeway for airplay even if they are Salt-N-Pepa. This song sounds similar to an upset midnight sexual love song with that New York sound. It's all good and not too explicit of course.

Good Life is is about living a good life of course obviously.  No struggles, carefree content, and no stress. That's the way most people would like to live if that was possible but sadly that isn't. Normal people wish they could live that way. I do too.

Do Me Right and Good Life should have been singles but due to Red Ant Records poor mismanagement that never happened. Friends should have been as single as well. The song Friends was composed by Anthony Criss. To me, Anthony Criss did a great job of composing. Honestly, Al West and Anthony Criss are both underrated composers that needed more exposure.

Friends is about friends and enemies. Better yet frenemies! Mad Lion goes mad wicked and crazy with the Jamaican Rastafari flow. So does Queen Latifah with her New York sound. Not too mainstream if you ask me. This song is hot!


Say Ooh sounds similar to an upset midnight sexual love song as Do Me Right did. Say Ooh is a very romantic hedonistic love song very similar to an 80s slow jam. It's all good and not too explicit of course. The sample is Turn Off The Lights by Larry Young. Salt and Spin are more vocal on this track then they usually are to me at least.

Imagine was a good choice for a 3rd single. It should have been like this: Imagine b/w Knock Knock. Sheryl Crow did a superb job is usually does her singing career. Let me say that. Imagine is about living life free with no struggles. That would be better. Think about it that way.

Brand New should have been a single also! Because it is the title track. But the downside to that would be people would be after the single more than the actual album if the title track was chosen to be the lead single. That's what happened with the Nicole Wray Make It Hot album which resulted in low sales in revenue.

On Gitty Up, Spinderella showcases her low alto voice similar to Automatic by The Pointer Sisters. The sample is Give To Me by Rick James. It sounds very 80s and 90s. The bass sounds very low of course because it's reduced along with the treble. I love this song and you will too!

Boy Toy reminds of Let's Talk About Sex, an earlier song by Salt-N-Pepa in the early 90s. A man turns into a one night stand love in this song. Not a cheesy love ballad either. So it's not too bad or that stellar either. In other words, it's worth a spin to listen to. Samples Candyman - Knockin' Boots too as a bonus!

Hold On and Silly of You were both single material. Similar to how Gitty Up, R U Ready?, Imagine, Say Ooh, Do Me Right, and Friends were. A lot of songs on this album has potential to be select singles.


This album was way overlooked! It's too bad the record label had limited funding. Who knew what kind of success this album would have been with the right amount of funding for the promotion of Brand New. Anyway, I rate this album, Brand New, 5/5*****!!