Sandra “Pepa” Denton had just removed her shoes and settled into the massage chair at the She Thing salon in Queens for what she hoped would be a relaxing pedicure when her cellphone started to buzz. Glancing down at the screen, she saw that it was a call from Cheryl “Salt” James.
She answered with a friendly greeting, having no idea she was about to obtain some devastating news. “She said, ‘I don’t wish to be attached to your hips anymore,’” Denton recalls, still dumbfounded years later. “I was like, ‘What does that mean?’ And she said, ‘I don’t want to do this anymore.’”
And with that brief phone call, sometime in 2000, Salt-N-Pepa, one of the most influential groups in hip-hop history, were effectively over.
The split wasn’t entirely unexpected. A few years earlier, in 1997, James had made it clear she was no longer interested in recording material consistent with the group’s established sound. “I don’t want to do any more ‘Shoops,’” she told Rolling Stone. “If you can respect me just wanting to do inspirational and original music, then I would do another album.”
With those terms agreed upon, Salt-N-Pepa released Brand New in 1997. It didn’t perform well. The lead single, “R U Ready,” failed to gain traction, peaking at Number 37 on the charts, and the album quickly disappeared. “There was no promotion, no money set behind it, nothing,” James later told Rolling Stone. “It was like the worst drop-the-ball on a Salt-N-Pepa album possible.”
The subsequent tour further strained the group dynamic. Accustomed to performing in arenas, they found themselves playing clubs for the first time since their early days. “Cheryl couldn’t handle it,” Denton says. “It shook her because that album was her baby, it was hers. Mentally, I saw something just exit in that moment. And it really put a damper on us, our relationship.”
Neither James, Denton, nor DJ Spinderella (Deidra Roper) believed the group would recover. There were too many unresolved conflicts, from financial disagreements to the fundamental question of whether Salt-N-Pepa was a duo or a trio.
More than 20 years later, on November 8, 2025, all three women shared the stage at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony in Los Angeles. After decades of being overlooked by the Hall of Fame, Salt-N-Pepa were finally inducted, receiving the Musical Influence Award.
“When they came up in the game, female rappers had to step up to the mic and show that they could go toe to toe with the guys,” Missy Elliott said during her induction speech. “Salt-N-Pepa and Spinderella did it effortlessly, seamlessly… These three women are the bricklayers to the foundation that holds hip-hop together.”
Despite the seemingly unified front, tensions remained. A significant source of conflict was the group’s protracted legal battle with Universal Records over ownership of their master recordings, which resulted in much of their catalog being removed from streaming services. As of February 2026, some of Salt-N-Pepa’s most iconic hits, like “Let’s Talk About Sex” and the original recording of “Push It,” remain unavailable for streaming.
During her acceptance speech, James spoke directly about the issue. “We are in a fight right now for our masters. After 40 years, as we celebrate this, kids can’t even stream our music. It’s been taken off all streaming platforms because the industry still doesn’t want to play fair.”
The journey to the Hall of Fame began in the early 1980s. James grew up in Brooklyn, watching breakdancers and DJs in the parks. Denton, born in Jamaica, Queens, had similar experiences. “I remember people setting up these turntables in the park and hooking them up to the electricity from the streetlights,” she recalls. “It was the most amazing thing I’d ever seen, people rapping to these traditional-school beats.”
James and Denton met as first-year students at Queensborough Community College in 1985. “Cheryl stood out to me because she was quiet,” Denton says. “Everyone was like, ‘Sandy! Sandy!’ And here was this quiet girl in the corner, not calling me, not saying anything.”
Both women worked at Sears as telephone operators, alongside future comedian Martin Lawrence and hip-hop duo Kid ‘n Play. It was there that James’ boyfriend at the time, Hurby “Luv Bug” Azor, proposed forming a rap duo. He approached Denton, asking if she could rhyme.
Azor wrote and produced a diss track called “The Showstopper,” which Denton and James recorded in his basement. The duo initially went by the name “Super Nature,” later changed to “Salt-N-Pepa.” They were soon joined by DJ Latoya Hanson, who was later replaced by Deidra Roper in 1987.
They released five studio albums: Hot, Cool & Vicious (1986), A Salt with a Deadly Pepa (1988), Blacks’ Magic (1990), Very Necessary (1993), and Brand New (1997).
Their breakthrough came with “Push It” in 1988, which reached Number 19 on the Hot 100. The song’s success propelled them into the mainstream, but likewise drew criticism for being too pop-oriented.
Salt-N-Pepa continued to achieve success with hits like “Let’s Talk About Sex” and “Shoop,” tackling taboo subjects and pushing boundaries. Very Necessary (1993) sold 5 million copies, and the group toured the world, performing for audiences in Japan, Russia, and even for royalty.
However, financial disputes and creative differences began to surface. James expressed dissatisfaction with the group’s direction, and the Brand New album failed to live up to expectations.
Following the group’s split, Denton pursued various ventures, including appearances on reality television. James focused on her family and solo music. Roper continued to work as a DJ and radio host.
After years of separation, the three women began to reconcile, culminating in their joint appearance at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction. They have since performed together on several occasions, and are currently discussing the possibility of recording a new album.
Salt-N-Pepa and Spinderella are currently appealing a recent court decision regarding ownership of their master recordings. The outcome of the appeal remains uncertain.
