GRAND CAYMAN, CAYMAN ISLANDS – February 16: Sandra “Pepa” Denton (L) and Cheryl “Salt” James of … [+]
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While they’ve certainly had their ups and downs, the ladies behind the icon rap group Salt-N-Pepa say they’ve never missed a beat.
Now, every step they took on their way to becoming music legends can be absorbed by the public as Lifetime LCUT television presents a narrative account of their lives.
Salt-N-Pepa, the movie, details the journey of Queensborough Community College students Cheryl ‘Salt’ James and Sandra ‘Pepa’ Denton as they forged their way through the then male-dominated world of rap and hip hop, built a following, and made statements through their music.
Formed in 1985, Salt-N-Pepa was one of the first all-female rap groups. They made a huge impact on the music world by changing the look of hip hop, and being unafraid to talk about previously thought taboo topics. The multiple award winners have sold over 15 million records worldwide, and in 2021 they’ll receive both a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.
The film will feature performances of Salt-N-Pepa’s greatest hits, including: “Let’s Talk About Sex,” “What a Man,” “Shoop,” and “Push It”.
It’s clear that the duo has lived quite a life, but it wasn’t exactly easy to convert that journey into a movie, says James, “It’s hard to put 35 years into a two-and-a-half-hour film.”
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And, she says that the process was also uncomfortable for both she and Denton. “We definitely had a lot of anxiety doing it, ’cause you have to revisit old wounds, and [ask] questions about things that you experienced. I definitely had a hard time pushing through it.”
But, she quickly adds, “With the help of everyone that supported [us], it was a great experience.”
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – APRIL 18: Sandra Denton” Pepa” of Salt n Peppa visits “Extra” at The Levi’s … [+]
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During a press event, Denton was happy to talk about how the duo got their now famous moniker. “It’s so funny. Our original name was Super Nature when we had our first single, “Showstopper.” [There’s a verse in that song where we go], ‘we go together like Salt-N-Pepa.’ So, all the fans [were] like, ‘Yo, play that Salt and Pepper song.’ So, Salt-N-Pepa was the way to go.”
James says the name is appropriate on several levels, explaining, “I think symbolically it represents two women that are polar opposites but are best friends. I think there’s a ‘salt and pepper’ in every friendship, [and] in a way that is very personal, it represents us in our personalities too.”
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – APRIL 18: Cheryl James “Salt” of Salt n Peppa visit “Extra” at The Levi’s … [+]
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The film shows some of the unique ways that Salt-N-Pepa made music, all of which, while somewhat unbelievable are accurate, says James. “We did a lot of recording in our producer’s attic and he turned his garage, his mom’s garage, into a studio. So, a lot of the greatest Salt-N-Pepa songs like “Whatta Man,” “Shoop” were actually recorded in [that] garage. The most interesting studio story is we did record “Push It” in a bathroom at this producer’s house. It was hot. We were sweating and we were up in each other’s face. [Yeah], that iconic song, ironically, was recorded in a bathroom.”
Talking about one of their most famous songs “Let’s Talk About Sex,” which was about AIDS and was released during the height of the AIDS epidemic, James says, “I just feel like it became something we felt was a responsibility to do not only for our fans, but for the entertainment community. It was a subject no one wanted to really touch. It was very taboo. It was just something that we really cared about and wanted to spread awareness about, to be the first to really speak out and inform people.”
Looking back over their journey, James says, “I always knew we were going to make it as artists, but I never, in my wildest dreams, thought that at this particular time in my life, I would still be doing press and tours. This is an insane blessing. This was destiny for us and we’ve been well celebrated our whole career. We even took a 10-year hiatus and came back. We never skipped a beat. For this generation to know who we are and our music is incredible. We’re not just artists, we created a movement. We made a statement that is left imprint on people’s, not only their minds, with their hearts. They have so much love for us and we do for the fans as well.”
The ladies feel that the film is inspiration, and can offer lessons about life for everyone. “I think [this is important because it] tells the story of women in the music industry, the ups and downs, the challenges that we’ve overcome, the challenges that we faced constantly as females in a male dominated field,” says James, adding, “But mostly, it’s a story of pushing through, regardless of the circumstance. It takes commitment, it takes originality. Salt-N-Pepa brought something different to the table. We were unique and had our own sound. So, I would definitely say don’t be a cookie-cutter copy of anyone else, be original.”
And with that, the Salt-N-Pepa beat just keeps going on and on and on…..
‘Salt-N-Pepa’ airs Saturday at 8/7c on Lifetime, followed by the documentary ‘Let’s Talk About Salt-N-Pepa.’
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