Salt N Pepa Biography

The hip-hop trio known as Salt-N-Pepa rose to fame in the mid 1980’s with the smash hit “Push It.” Salt-N-Pepa was first established in 1985, with members Cheryl James (“Salt”), Sandra Denton (“Pepa”), and Deidra Roper (“DJ Spinderella.”) As the first all-female hip-hop/rap group, the women relied on sexually charged performances and frank dialogue which explored such subjects from the female perspective. Even today, Salt-N-Pepa is recognized as a groundbreaking group of the 1980’s, paving the way for others to follow.

Salt-N-Pepa arrived on the scene with Hot, Cool, & Vicious in 1986. The album featured the hit “Push It,” but also the singles: “Tramp,” “My Mic Sounds Nice,” and “Chick on the Side.” The album was followed by: A Salt with a Deadly Pepa (1988), Blacks’ Magic (1990), Very Necessary (1993), and Brand New (1997), featuring the hits: “Shake Your Thang,” “Get Up Everybody,” “Expression,” “Do You Want Me,” “Let’s Talk About Sex,” “You Showed Me,” “None of Your Business,” “Shoop,” “Whatta Man,” “Ain’t Nuthin’ But a She Thing,” and “Gitty Up.”

Salt-N-Pepa disbanded in 1999 but reformed in 2007. Since their reunion, the group has performed together on such shows as the BET Hip Hop Awards and at such festivals as the Good Vibrations Festival in Australia. The girls recently embarked on a national headlining tour in 2011, and in 2012 they opened for Public Enemy as part of the Martin Luther King Jr. Concert Series.

In 2010, Salt-N-Pepa was recognized with the I Am Hip Hop Award from the BET Hip Hop Awards. The recognition is in addition to their 1995 Grammy for Best Rap Performance by a Duo of Group (for “None of Your Business”), and multiple nominations in the same category in years prior. Salt-N-Pepa continues to perform and tour, and has plans for additional projects together in the coming years.