Salt-N-Pepa honored by ASCAP
Cheryl “Salt” James and Sandra “Pepa” Denton, better known as the pioneering hip-hop act Salt-N-Pepa, were honored by ASCAP at their seventh annual Women Behind the Music series on Wednesday (October 28).
Next year will mark the 30th anniversary of their debut album, Hot, Cool, & Vicious, released on December 8, 1986. The album featured their timeless hit, “Push It,” and sold 1.4 million copies worldwide.
In an exclusive interview with Billboard, Salt and Pepa shared the secret to their longevity in the game.
Salt: We were friends before the music. That has a lot to do with it. And there’s a combustible energy that we have. We always say there’s a salt and a pepper in every friendship. Pep is the hot, wild, edgy one; I’m more conservative. She pulls me to the edge, and I pull her back from the edge. The chemistry between us is just undeniable.
Pepa: Women come up to us all the time and give us the most amazing compliments like “Salt-N-Pepa was the soundtrack of my life.” They remind us that we meant so much to them. Sometimes artists don’t really grasp that. But when you talk to fans, you get in touch with your legacy. Fans make you understand it was more than music to them. It was a movement, a voice they felt they didn’t have that we expressed for them.
See more photos from event on page 2.
