“AIDS ain’t got no smell or taste / It don’t care about your race.”⁠ ⁠ In February 1992, Salt N’ Pepa released an AIDS-themed rework of their trailblazing 1991 single “Let’s Talk About Sex.” Entitled “Let’s Talk About AIDS,” it's a catchy, no-bullshit PSA which takes aim at widespread myths. “It’s not a black, white or gay disease,” they rap, explaining that nobody contracts HIV through “kisses, touches, mosquito bites” or “toilet seats.” ⁠ ⁠ The overarching message is loud and clear: learn the facts and glove up before you fuck.⁠ ⁠ At the time, an HIV diagnosis was seen as a death sentence. Governments had refused to fund research into a virus which largely killed marginalized groups, until those groups began staging “die-ins” and taking the fight to their doorsteps. Mainstream sex-ed was largely abstinence-based, creating the perfect climate for HIV miseducation to thrive.⁠ ⁠ As death counts racked up, it was quickly clear that not only white, cosmopolitan gay men were contracting it. Black communities worldwide were dying en masse, and especially throughout the 1990s, hip-hop’s biggest names became some of their most vocal advocates.⁠ ⁠ Swipe through and hit the link in our bio to read more.⁠ ⁠ ✍️: Jake Hall⁠ 📷️: Getty