Hot, Cool & Vicious

AMG Review of Hot, Cool & Vicious

Steve Huey
All Music Guide

One of the first albums to be released by an all-female ap group, Hot, Cool & Vicious is paced by its opening track, "Push It," one of the first ap songs to hit number one on the dance singles charts. Considering how little Salt-n-Pepa actually ap on "Push It," which is all about its instrumental hook, they maintain a surprisingly strong presence over most of Hot, Cool & Vicious. No, they aren't technical virtuosos on the mic, but their fairly basic aps are carried off with brash confidence and enthusiasm. Some of the other key tracks borrow ideas from outside sources: the single "Tramp" is a ap remake of the Otis & Carla soul classic, and "The Show Stopper" is an answer record to Doug E. Fresh's "The Show." The duo's sass comes across very well on "My Mic Sounds Nice" and "I'll Take Your Man," and they're equally assertive on "Chick on the Side." In the end, the album needs a little more weight to really come across well, but it's fun and danceable all the same.