Salt-N-Pepa Reflect On Longevity in Hip Hop: "There Was No Plan B"

BY Erika Marie 6.0K Views
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Salt-N-Pepa
The ladies always felt like as women they had more to prove.

Their careers have spanned three decades and they've gone down in history as hip hop icons, and according to Salt-N-Pepa, they aren't slowing down any time soon. There was a point when Cheryl James (Salt) and Sandy Denton (Pepa) took some time apart, but for years they've been touring and, most recently, wowing fans in Las Vegas as they enjoyed their residency on the strip—a show that boasted the first ever hip hop residency in Sin City.

The pair sat down with OK! Magazine to talk about what it's been like as two women in rap who have broken through barriers, set records, and created a legacy that other female hip hop artists could follow. "It's been one of those things in hip hop, believe it or not, it was a question of would hip hop even last, then in the later time it was like, damn, we gon' end up in Vegas one day," Denton said. James chimed in, "And that used to be a joke. It was like Vegas was where your career goes to die, and now that's where you go to live."

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Denton noted that when they first came together, they weren't necessarily worried about creating timeless music. According to Denton, they were focused on being all in as artists and giving one hundred percent. "It's not even knowing [the music would be timeless], it's knowing who we are and the type of [people] that we are," Denton said. "Coming into the game knowing that this is something...we in it, we gotta go for it, we gotta stay focused, we gotta do it. So the fact that it paid off is what the blessing is and the celebration because we went in doing it. Once we was like, okay, we could do this, we went for it.

"And women, being women in hip hop at a time when it wasn't that many women, we felt like we had more to prove," James added. "There was a lot of thumbs down, they're not gonna last, that type of thing. So we had to go hard in the paint. And for me personally, I was in college. I always say school is great, but it's not for everyone. For me, it wasn't working out and I always wanted to be an entertainer, so it was just...there was no plan B for me. When you think that way, it's like, do this or die. That's how I felt."


About The Author
Since 2019, Erika Marie has worked as a journalist for HotNewHipHop, covering music, film, television, art, fashion, politics, and all things regarding entertainment. With 20 years in the industry under her belt, Erika Marie moved from a writer on the graveyard shift at HNHH to becoming a Features Editor, highlighting long-form content and interviews with some of Hip Hop’s biggest stars. She has had the pleasure of sitting down with artists and personalities like DJ Jazzy Jeff, Salt ’N Pepa, Nick Cannon, Rah Digga, Rakim, Rapsody, Ari Lennox, Jacquees, Roxanne Shante, Yo-Yo, Sean Paul, Raven Symoné, Queen Naija, Ryan Destiny, DreamDoll, DaniLeigh, Sean Kingston, Reginae Carter, Jason Lee, Kamaiyah, Rome Flynn, Zonnique, Fantasia, and Just Blaze—just to name a few. In addition to one-on-one chats with influential public figures, Erika Marie also covers content connected to the culture. She’s attended and covered the BET Awards as well as private listening parties, the Rolling Loud festival, and other events that emphasize established and rising talents. Detroit-born and Long Beach (CA)-raised, Erika Marie has eclectic music taste that often helps direct the interests she focuses on here at HNHH. She finds it necessary to report on cultural conversations with respect and honor those on the mic and the hardworking teams that help get them there. Moreover, as an advocate for women, Erika Marie pays particular attention to the impact of femcees. She sits down with rising rappers for HNHH—like Big Jade, Kali, Rubi Rose, Armani Caesar, Amy Luciani, and Omerettà—to gain their perspectives on a fast-paced industry.