SALT-N-PEPA
Salt-N-Pepa is an American hip hop trio from Queens, New York. The group, consisting of Cheryl James (“Salt”), Sandra Denton (“Pepa”), and originally Latoya Hanson, who was replaced by Deidra Roper (“DJ Spinderella”), was formed in 1985 and was one of the first all-female rap groups. Through their career, Salt-N-Pepa have won five awards: Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group (1995), MTV Video Music Award for Best Electronic Dance Music Video (1994), MTV Video Music Award for Best Choreography (1994), MTV Video Music Award for Best R&B Video (1994), and BET Hip Hop Awards I Am Hip-Hop Icon Award (2010). (More from Wikipedia)
Likewise, the few women who reached the top of their field are among the biggest stars in country and western music history: Kitty Wells, Tammy Wynette, Patsy Cline, Loretta Lynn, Dolly Parton, and Reba McEntyre, among many others. In hip hop, Salt-N-Pepa burst onto the scene in 1985 and probably helped establish the musical genre altogether, back when rap was being dismissed as a fad.
(October 2013)
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Salt-N-Pepa is an early female rap trio that helped legitimize hip hop in the wider musical landscape. Rap lyrics spoken by women are not so harsh and intimidating as those by men, particularly in the gangsta rap era that was just starting to take hold when Salt-N-Pepa emerged in 1985.
From Wikipedia: “The group entered the music industry at a time when hip hop music was believed to be a fad, and major record companies were reluctant to sign hip hop artists. . . . With lots of concerns about sexist lyrics and video clips that objectified women’s bodies in hip hop music, many feminists disliked rap and hip hop music because of its bad portrayal of women. However, Salt-N-Pepa changed the look of hip hop. They wore scantily clad, sexy clothing and were not afraid to talk about sex and their thoughts about men. Their song ‘Let’s Talk About Sex’ was a huge hit.”
The debut album by Salt-N-Pepa, Hot, Cool and Vicious (1986) had several moderate R&B hit songs, but the group hit it big when a remix version of “Push It” became a platinum hit and pushed their album sales above the one-million mark. Salt-N-Pepa has had a productive career over many years, including a Grammy win for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group in 1995 for “None of Your Business”.
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As far as I know, none have been to Biloxi yet, but many of the early rap and hip hop artists have begun hitting the oldies circuit; and several came through Charlotte while I was there this summer. I couldn’t find the line-up for that show; but on November 12, 2016, a joint concert with Vanilla Ice, Salt-N-Pepa, Kid ’N Play, All-4-One, and Coolio will be at the Greensboro Coliseum in Greensboro.
(September 2016)
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Since I am down to a quarterly schedule rather than a monthly schedule, my annual list is a lot shorter, so I will try listing all of the people that I have discussed in some depth rather than just the Under Appreciated Rock Band and the Story of the Month. They are all punk rock bands of one kind or another this year (2015-2016), and the most recent post includes my overview of the early rap/hip hop scene that an old friend, George Konstantinow challenged me to write – probably so long ago that he might have forgotten.
September 2016 – 1980’s punk/rap band LIGHTNING STRIKE; Story of the Month on Patti Smith; also, Hamilton, School of Rock, MFSB, Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, Bob Dylan, Run-D.M.C., Aerosmith, LL Cool J, Snoop Dogg, the Fat Boys, DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince, Kid ’N Play, MC Hammer, Rick James, Vanilla Ice, Blondie / Deborah Harry, Salt-N-Pepa, the Sugarhill Gang, Nile Rodgers / Chic, Ravales.
(Year 7 Review)
