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Salt-N-Pepa redefined hip-hop as one of the first major all-female rap groups, achieving multi-platinum success and earning widespread acclaim for their influential contributions to music.
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Request A ShowHip-Hop Legends Salt-N-Pepa share the details of their new Milani Makeup Collection. We've been waiting for this collaboration for decades. This partnership with the indie beauty brand Milani cosmetics was for a '90s-inspired collection.
To celebrate the news of a product launch, the brand enlisted the help of 90s hip-hop heroines Salt-N-Pepa to record a new song and launched a social media campaign.
Salt-N-Pepa partnered with Sony to help celebrate the 50th anniversary of hip hop and the women who contributed to the genre, by hosting a Hip Hop 50 Talk Series.
Salt-N-Pepa appeared in a GEICO insurance commercial performing their hit song "Push It."
Salt-N-Pepa, comprising Cheryl James (“Salt”), Sandra Denton (“Pepa”), and Deidra Roper (“DJ Spinderella”), formed in New York City in 1985. Initially, James and Denton were nursing students and co-workers at Sears, where they met Hurby “Luv Bug” Azor. Azor, a music production student, had them record a song for a class project, which led to “The Showstopper,” an answer record to Doug E. Fresh’s “The Show.” This track gained popularity on a New York City radio station and was eventually given an official release by independent label Pop Art Records, reaching No. 46 on the US Billboard R&B chart. Following this initial success, James and Denton left nursing school to pursue music full-time. The group’s name was changed to Salt-N-Pepa based on their song’s lyrics, and they signed with Next Plateau Records in September 1985.
The group’s debut album, “Hot, Cool & Vicious,” was released in December 1986. While it included moderate R&B radio hits, a remix of its B-side “Push It” by San Francisco DJ Cameron Paul became their first major hit. “Push It” reached No. 19 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and No. 2 in the UK, significantly boosting album sales. “Hot, Cool & Vicious” sold over 1 million copies in the US, making Salt-N-Pepa the first female rap act to achieve gold and platinum status from the RIAA. Their subsequent albums, “A Salt with a Deadly Pepa” (1988) and “Blacks’ Magic” (1990), continued their success with hit singles like “Shake Your Thang,” “Expression,” and “Let’s Talk About Sex.” These albums solidified their presence in hip-hop, with “Blacks’ Magic” selling 1.6 million copies worldwide.
The release of “Very Necessary” in 1993 marked a significant milestone, selling over 7 million copies worldwide (5 million in the US) and becoming the highest-selling rap album by a female act at the time. This album featured hit singles such as “Shoop,” “Whatta Man” (with En Vogue), and “None of Your Business.” Salt-N-Pepa received a Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group in 1995 for “None of Your Business,” making them one of the first female rap acts to win a Grammy. Despite a hiatus and individual ventures, the group reunited in 2005. They received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2021 and are slated for induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2025 for Musical Influence, underscoring their lasting impact on music history.
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