Japleen Khera
Salt-N-Pepa is a record-breaking hip-hop band formed in 1985 which won the Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group in 1995 for the single “None of Your Business.” It made them the first all-female rap act to bring home this most illustrious accolade in the music industry. With many more Grammy nominations to their credit, the group originally consisted of Cheryl “Salt” James and Sandra “Pepa” Denton, later joined by Deidra “DJ Spinderella” Roper in 1987.
The famous trio altered how the world viewed rap and hip hop by dressing in stylish outfits that were a perfect blend of sexy and comfortable, and unabashedly using their honest opinions about sex and men in their lyrics. After releasing five ultra-hit albums, Salt’s decision to leave the band at the top of her career led to Salt-N-Pepa’s official disbandment in 2002. The group came back together in 2007. With the premiere of Lifetime’s biopic ‘Salt-N-Pepa’ based on the band’s many achievements and overall journey, the fans have been intrigued to know about the members’ whereabouts!
Cheryl “Salt” James: Where is She Now?
Right after quitting the band, Cheryl Renee James, better known by her stage name Salt, went back to revive her faith in Christianity, reconciled with Gavin Wray – the father of her daughter, miraculously recovered from bulimia, and even managed to heal herself from “severe depression.” Following Salt-N-Pepa’s reformation in 2007, Salt performed “Shoop,” “Push It,” and “Whatta Man” on October 23, 2008, at BET Hip Hop Awards. The famous rapper and songwriter then featured in the Generation Gospel Exclusive on 106 & Gospel in 2009.
I have learned that success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life as by the obstacles which he has had to overcome while trying to succeed. ~ Booker T. Washington#MondayMotivation #ADashofSalt pic.twitter.com/lzDvsITTgZ
— Cheryl 'Salt' James (@DaOnlySalt) October 12, 2020
After over a decade since then, Salt has broadened her reach in the industry by becoming a speaker, writer, and producer. She has been hosting shows and giving stage performances across the globe, for instance, in Vegas in 2018 and for Halloween and New Years’ in 2019. Salt also did The Mixtape Tour in 2019, which starred New Kids on the Block and other special guests like Tiffany, Naughty by Nature, and Debbie Gibson. The pandemic kept her unusually free in 2020, but she ended the year with a bang by actively promoting Lifetime’s miniseries ‘Salt-N-Pepa.’
Sandra “Pepa” Denton: Where is She Now?
Sandra “Pepa” Denton has remained an indispensable part of Salt-N-Pepa for more than three decades. In 2005, the Jamaican-American hip hop rapper kick-started her career as an actress after being cast on season 5 of VH1’s ‘The Surreal Life’ and then for its spin-off series, ‘The Surreal Life: Fame Games.’ She has also performed in various motion pictures like the musical-comedy ‘Joe’s Apartment,’ HBO’s ‘First Time Felon,’ and made a guest appearance as Officer Andrea Phelan on the HBO’s drama series, ‘Oz.’
VH1 gave her the opportunity to host her own talk-show ‘Let’s Talk About Pep.’ In August 2008, she authored a tell-all memoir by the same name to elaborate on her being molested as a child and her abusive relationships. Since January 2016, she has made recurring appearances on We TV’s reality show ‘Growing Up Hip Hop’ with her daughter, Egypt, as the main cast.
Denton spent the last part of 2020 doing personalized videos on Cameo for her fans along with promoting Lifetime’s biopic on her and her bandmate, Cheryl “Salt” James. She has frequently made headlines for her not-so-happy marriages and previous relationships. But she is a proud mother to a son, Tyran Jr. Denton, born on July 6, 1990, and a daughter, Egypt Jahnari Criss, welcomed on September 2, 1998. Denton shares her children with former partners, Tyran “Tah-Tah” Moore and Anthony “Treach” Criss, respectively.
DJ Spinderella: Where is She Now?
The third part of “The First Ladies of Rap and Hip Hop,” Deidra Muriel Roper is renowned by her stage name Spinderella, which, in fact, is a reference to the character Cinderella. Despite being a prominent part of Salt-N-Pepa, she seldom appeared on the VH1’s ‘The Salt-n-Pepa Show,’ a reality show which aimed to bring the band together. The DJ and rapper worked as a radio personality on the now-defunct KKBT 100.3 in Los Angeles, co-hosting The BackSpin from 2003 to 2006.
Now also a producer, Spinderella has been disc jockeying for a live audience on Instagram and Facebook as ‘Red Wine Mix’ and has also made multiple clubs across Texas groove to her tunes. As far as a sneak-peak into her personal life is concerned, Spinderella is engaged to her longtime boyfriend, Quenton “Q” Coleman, and is a proud mother to Christy Ray, a skilled DJ. For over 30 years, Spinderella often accompanied her band members for reunion tours and performances until late 2018.
Fans of the artist saw her missing from The Mixtape Tour’s debut show held on May 2, 2019, at U.S. Bank Arena, Cincinnati, Ohio. The very next day, she admitted to having received an email entailing her termination in January 2019. By July of the same year, Spinderella sued her former bandmates with a federal lawsuit, accusing them of unpaid royalties, given “minimal compensation” over the years, and then abruptly firing her. Salt and Pepa fired back at her, claiming the allegations as purely fantastical.
