Salt-N-Pepa - Let's Talk About Aids

What this video is

Released at the apex of the US AIDS epidemic, 'Let's Talk About AIDS' represents a rare moment of hip-hop crossing into formal public health advocacy. The video was initiated by ABC World News Tonight anchor Peter Jennings, who commissioned Salt-N-Pepa to rework their 1991 hit 'Let's Talk About Sex' with lyrics directly confronting the spread of HIV/AIDS — embedding the message 'It's not a Black, white, or gay…

Why it matters

A landmark document in the intersection of hip-hop and public health communication. Salt-N-Pepa were among the first mainstream rap artists to directly address the AIDS crisis in both recorded and visual media. The video demonstrates how the music video format was leveraged in the early 1990s as a…

The director

Matthew Russell Rolston (b. March 1, 1955, Los Angeles) is an American photographer, music video director, and creative director known for his signature lighting techniques and association with Hollywood glamour aesthetics. Discovered by Andy Warhol for…