Salt-n-Pepa: Wait... They're a trio?

I'm at it again and I think everyone will really enjoy this one... While it's the end of the term AND a snow day I find myself sitting here writing my blog post because A. it's due Saturday morning and B. I actually think I'm going to enjoy this one. I mean, all I've done so far is Google Salt-n-Pepa and I've already learned the group was a trio!!!

So here's a little more about them you might find interesting:

The group made up of Cheryl James Wray (Salt), Sandra Denton (Pepa), and Deidra "Dee Dee" Roper (Spinderella) came together in 1985. Cheryl James was born in Brooklyn, New York on March 28, 1964 to a mother who was a bank manager and a father who worked in transit. Sandra Denton was born in Kingston, Jamaica in 1969 and later relocated to Brooklyn. Her father died in 1983, leaving her mother to raise Sandra, as well as her eight siblings, alone.

James Wray and Denton met later in Queens Borough College where one was studying nursing and the other was in the field of liberal arts. By chance, they both took jobs as telephone customer-service representatives for Sears Roebuck, where they got to know each other, as well as another co-worker Hurby Azor, better. Azor, a student at New York City's Center for the Media Arts (and later one of Salt's love interests) was assigned a mid- term project that involved him making a record to fulfill the credit. Willing to help out a friend, James Wray and Denton agreed, and the three had planned for the recording to be made as a response to the hit song "The Show" by Doug E. Fresh. Azor named the duo "Supernature" and had them record "The Showstopper" in 1986. Little did they know, this would be the start of something much greater than a mid-term project.

After 250,000 copies of their recording sold, the rappers attracted the attention of Next Plateau Records, Inc.. They all decided to quit their jobs at Sears and launch a new career under the name Salt-N-Pepa, (a line taken from the lyrics of "The Showstopper") managed by Hurby "Love Bug" Azor. They were joined by mixmaster DJ Latoya Hanson (Spinderella), but when thing didn't work out their new and improved spinster, Deidra "Dee Dee" Roper (also Spinderella), joined in to resolve the issue. What had been created would prove to be the first and most powerful ALL women hip hop group in a domain dominated purely by men.

The group hit the ground running and by the time they had become a mainstream group they were ready for almost anything that would face them. While things weren't always perfect (I mean come on, they're a bunch girls, there's always gonna be drama!) they were able to pull through and came out on top with multiple hit records including: Hot Cool & Vicious, A Salt with a Deadly Pepa, Blacks' Magic, Very Necessary, and Brand New. Somehow over the course of the five records they created they made it past Pepa's pregnancy marriage and divorce, Azor's lack of commitment (and later break up from the group), and receiving first multi-platinum album from women everywhere. However, as they say, "nothing lasts forever" and "all good things come to an end" and so did the hip hop empire they created.

In 2002, the group disbanded, APPARENTLY because Salt had decided she had enough with the music industry. HOWEVER, this idea was completely discredited when she made a press release saying that she would be releasing a new record entitled "Salt of the Earth" which later changed to "Salt Unrapped" which later was never released due to complications. On the Pepa front an autobiography was being created that would later be released entitled "Let's Talk About Pep" in 2008. But the end of Salt-n-Pepa was yet to come.

In 2007, the two reunited for the hit VH1 show, "The Salt-n-Pepa Show". The show summarizes the events in the lives of Salt and Pepa as they work out past issues and return to the recording studio. Spinderella has also made appearances in many episodes and the three continue to perform together, never letting their passion die.

For further listening:
I suggest you check out "Ain't Nuthin' But A She Thing"and read the lyrics. It's a great song about women empowerment and strength.

One more about men needing to step up to the plate is "Whatta Man" also with moving lyrics about the one good one out there!

Also, another more popular but equally expressive song is "Let's Talk About Sex". And make sure to check out the lyrics, about how men just want sex and women don't feel the love.

Sources :

"hip-hop." Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica Online School Edition. Encyclopædia Britannica, 2010. Web. 26 Feb. 2010 .

"Salt N Pepa Biography." Sing 365 06 May 2007: n. pag. Web. 26 Feb 2010. .

"Salt-N-Pepa." Internet Movie DataBase 01 Jan 2010: n. pag. Web. 26 Feb 2010. .

"Salt-N-Pepa." MTV.com 09 Jan 2010: n. pag. Web. 26 Feb 2010. .