8 Songs Millennials Don’t Know Are Remakes
2. Whatta Man - Salt 'N Pepa With En Vogue
Most Millennials weren’t born in 1993 when rap icons Salt-N-Pepa brought in En Vogue to sing on this Grammy nominated hit. And while the song is credited to "Salt-N-Pepa with En Vogue”, the real credit belongs to another artist altogether.
Based on the 1968 R & B hit, What A Man, recorded by Linda Lyndell, a singer who had worked with James Brown & Ike & Tina Turner. The song was largely improvised by Lyndell and was released as a single that year, peaking at number 50 on Billboard’s Hot Rhythm & Blues singles chart.
Twenty five years later, Salt-N-Pepa retitled the song Whatta Man for Runaway Love, an EP by En Vogue, who is credited as the featured group and sing the now famous ‘whatta man, whatta man what a mighty good man’ refrain.
Hurby "Luv Bug" Azor wrote the rap lyrics and produced this version, and Salt-N-Pepa sampled Lyndell's original recording, using it throughout the song.