Salt-N-Pepa facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Salt-N-Pepa
Salt-N-Pepa performing at the Canberra Theatre in Australia, 2013
Background information
Origin	New York City, U.S.
Genres	Hip hop pop rap pop dance-pop
Years active	1985–2002 2005–present
Labels	Pop Art Next Plateau London Red Ant FFRR
Members	Salt Pepa
Past members	Latoya Hanson Spinderella

Salt-N-Pepa is an American hip hop group that started in New York City in 1985. The group was made up of Salt (Cheryl James), Pepa (Sandra Denton), and DJ Spinderella (Deidra Roper).

Their first album, Hot, Cool & Vicious (1986), sold over 1 million copies in the U.S. This made them the first female rap group to reach gold and platinum status. The album included their famous song "Push It", which became a top 20 hit on the Billboard charts.

Salt-N-Pepa's album Very Necessary (1993) sold over 7 million copies around the world. This made it the best-selling rap album by a female artist or group at that time. They won a Grammy Award in 1995 for their song "None of Your Business". This made them one of the first female rap acts to win a Grammy.

Salt-N-Pepa have sold more than 15 million records worldwide. This makes them one of the most successful rap groups ever. Because of their big impact on rap and hip hop, they are often called "The First Ladies of Rap."

History of Salt-N-Pepa

How the Group Started (1985–1987)

In 1985, Cheryl James (Salt) and Sandra Denton (Pepa) met while studying nursing in Queens, New York City. They became good friends and worked together at a store called Sears.

Another co-worker, Hurby "Luv Bug" Azor, was studying music. He asked Cheryl and Sandra to record a song for a school project. This song was called "The Showstopper." It was a response song to Doug E. Fresh's hit "The Show." At first, the duo called themselves Super Nature.

The song became popular on a New York City radio station. People kept asking to hear it, even though it wasn't available in stores. An independent record company, Pop Art Records, decided to release it officially. "The Show Stoppa (Is Stupid Fresh)" became a small hit on the R&B charts.

After this success, Cheryl and Sandra left nursing school to focus on music. Hurby Azor changed the group's name to Salt-N-Pepa. This name came from a line in their song: "Right now I'm gonna show you how it's supposed to be 'Cause we, the salt and pepper MCs."

In September 1985, the group signed with Next Plateau Records. They released another song, "I'll Take Your Man." The record label then asked for a full album. Hurby Azor decided the group should be a trio, like the male rap group Run DMC.

Before the album, DJ Latoya Hanson joined the group for a short time. She left before the album was widely released. In early 1987, 16-year-old Deidra Roper joined the group as their new DJ, known as Spinderella.

1980s era Salt-N-Pepa jacket on display at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

Their first album, Hot, Cool & Vicious, came out in December 1986. It had some popular songs like "The Showstopper" and "Tramp." But it was a remix of "Push It" that made them famous. "Push It" became a huge hit in the U.S. and other countries.

"Push It" helped the album sell over 1 million copies in the U.S. This made Salt-N-Pepa the first female rap group to sell platinum. The album eventually sold 1.4 million copies worldwide.

Salt-N-Pepa entered music when many thought hip hop was just a passing trend. They were one of the first all-female rap groups, and they had a big impact on hip hop music.

New Albums and More Hits (1988–1992)

Salt-N-Pepa's second album, A Salt with a Deadly Pepa, was released in 1988. It included the top 10 R&B song "Shake Your Thang." Another song, "Twist and Shout," became a big hit in the UK. The album sold 500,000 copies in the U.S., earning gold status.

Their third album, Blacks' Magic, came out in 1990. For this album, Salt and Spinderella helped produce some songs. They also worked with other producers. This album was the first to feature Spinderella singing on many tracks, not just DJing.

Blacks' Magic had six singles that became hits. These included "Expression," which sold platinum, and "Let's Talk About ...," which sold gold. "Let's Talk About..." was even re-recorded as "Let's Talk About AIDS" to help raise awareness. The album sold 1 million copies in the U.S. and 1.6 million worldwide.

Huge Success with Very Necessary (1993–1996)

Salt-N-Pepa's fourth album, Very Necessary, was released in 1993. Salt, Pepa, Spinderella, and Hurby Azor all helped write and produce the songs.

This album had huge hits like "Shoop" and "Whatta Man" (with En Vogue). Another hit was "None of Your Business." Very Necessary sold 7 million copies worldwide, with 5 million in the U.S. This made it a 5x platinum album. They were the first female rap group to have a multi-platinum album.

In 1995, the group won a Grammy Award for "None of Your Business." This made them the first female rap act to win a Grammy, along with Queen Latifah. Very Necessary is still the best-selling album by a female rap group.

New Album and a Break (1997–2004)

For their next album, Salt-N-Pepa worked without Hurby Azor. They signed with Red Ant Records. Their album Brand New was released in 1997.

However, Red Ant Records faced money problems and went bankrupt. This stopped them from promoting Salt-N-Pepa's album. Even so, the album sold 500,000 copies in the U.S., earning gold status. It continued their streak of gold or platinum albums.

In 2002, Salt decided to leave the group, and Salt-N-Pepa officially broke up. Salt later focused on other projects. Pepa appeared on a TV show called The Surreal Life. Spinderella became a radio DJ in Los Angeles. The group was apart for five years.

Getting Back Together (2005–Present)

Salt-N-Pepa performing at the Canberra Theatre in 2013

Salt and Pepa appeared on VH1's Hip Hop Honors in 2005. The next year, all three women reunited for the same show and performed "Whatta Man" with En Vogue. This was their first performance together in six years.

Salt-N-Pepa officially reformed in 2007. All three members now have children. Spinderella has a daughter, Pepa has a son and a daughter, and Salt has a daughter and a son.

In 2007, The Salt-N-Pepa Show started on VH1. It showed Salt and Pepa working through past issues. Spinderella also appeared in some episodes. In 2008, the group performed at the BET Hip Hop Awards. Pepa also released her autobiography, Let's Talk About Pep.

Salt-N-Pepa continued to perform at concerts and festivals around the world. In 2010, they received the I Am Hip Hop Award at the BET Hip Hop Awards. They also toured with other famous hip hop artists on the Salt-N-Pepa's Legends of Hip Hop Tour.

In 2014, the trio appeared in a Geico insurance commercial, performing "Push It." Their song "Shoop" was also featured in the Marvel movie Deadpool in 2016.

In 2019, it was announced that a TV movie about Salt-N-Pepa's rise to fame would be made for the Lifetime network. Queen Latifah and Salt-N-Pepa were executive producers for the movie.

In May 2019, DJ Spinderella announced that she was no longer part of Salt-N-Pepa. DJ Cocoa Chanelle became the new DJ for the group.

On January 23, 2021, the movie about their lives, called Salt-N-Pepa, was released on Lifetime. Salt and Pepa were executive producers for the film.

On November 4, 2022, all three members of Salt-N-Pepa received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. This is a special honor for their contributions to music.

Discography

• Hot, Cool & Vicious (1986)
• A Salt with a Deadly Pepa (1988)
• Blacks' Magic (1990)
• Very Necessary (1993)
• Brand New (1997)

Awards and Nominations

See also

In Spanish: Salt-N-Pepa para niños