Before Cheryl James took on the stage moniker of Salt in the iconic hip-hop trio Salt-N-Pepa, she wanted to revolutionize the world of office and administrative support.
“First, I was going to be a psychologist,” James said during a recent Zoom call. “When I started taking logic classes, I was like, okay, this is not what I thought, so I’m just going to be the best secretary ever.”
Spoiler: James took a different route.
Rather than push papers, she set out to “push it” to the top of hip-hop. James, alongside Sandra “Pepa” Denton and DJ Deidra “Spinderella” Roper, went on to make history. The trio was the first female rap act to go platinum, win a Grammy Award, and, more recently, be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
The cultural icons will celebrate their catalogue of hits, including “Push It!,” “Shoop,” and “Whatta Man” at Yaamava’ Resort & Casino in Highland on Wednesday, Dec. 31, to ring in the New Year.
“We are known for putting on a great show, and it is always so interactive,” James said. “We’re so connected with our audience and don’t take them for granted. As we always say, if we’re having fun, they’re having fun. Also, Spinderella is back, and that hasn’t happened in a while.”
Although James’ larger-than-life stage presence as Salt is part of the force that launched the group to stardom, she describes herself as an introvert and the unlikeliest person to welcome the spotlight, that is, anywhere other than the stage.
“I was a pretty shy kid, but I always loved music,” she said. “I used to be that kid who would put on the shows for the aunties, gather all the cousins, produce the show, write the screenplay, make up the dance steps, the music and everything. My mom used to take me to all the Broadway shows, so it was in me. I wanted to entertain. Salt became a way for me to express my introverted self in an extroverted way. People to this day still look at me, especially my mom, and say things like, ‘It’s still weird to me that you are Salt.’ She knows the difference between Salt and me.”
Part of what motivated James to become Salt was her genuine belief in Salt-N-Pepa. The rapper said she deeply felt the difference between what she thought she could accomplish in college and what she and the girls could do behind mics and turntables. That razor-sharp certainty was required to cut down any obstacles and naysayers in the music business. “People laughed at me in the beginning: friends, family, even some rappers,” she said. “I won’t mention any names, but here we are: a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, Hollywood Walk of Fame, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and every other award in between. So stay the course, ladies.”
“It’s rough for women everywhere,” she continued. “It’s not just hip-hop; it’s a male-dominated world, but hip-hop is very testosterone-driven, and we definitely had to work harder to be respected, heard, and accepted. Russell Simmons gave us a thumbs down early on, and years later, he and his colleagues tried to sign us to Def Jam, which was such a great full-circle moment.”
The debut album, “Hot, Cool & Vicious,” was released in 1986 and featured some of the group’s most iconic songs, including “Tramp,” “The Showstopper,” and “My Mic Sounds Nice.”
But the single “Tramp” needed a B-side. The girls returned to the studio, and San Francisco DJ and producer Cameron Paul crafted the dance anthem “Push It.” The last-minute push for a B-Side single to balance “Tramp” led to massive success, with pop crossover play and workout inspiration in aerobics classes across the country. The single went platinum, earned them a Grammy nomination, and put the doubts to bed.
“It was the breakthrough on all levels,” James said. “International success with non-believers becoming believers.
“It was such a phenomenon, and that’s when people really started taking us seriously. Of course, we later won a Grammy, which is the industry’s stamp of approval. But our earlier songs, the more street ones that broke us, laid the groundwork and set us up for the home run. Those early songs really helped solidify our street cred in hip-hop.”
With the wind at their backs and crossover appeal that stretched beyond hip-hop, the trio was feeling themselves in the late ’80s and ’90s. Naturally, this was reflected in their eccentric fashion choices. James said they wanted to remain as authentic as possible while rocking what they saw on the streets and in the culture at the time. Hip-hop’s early days had a counterculture flavor that welcomed experimentation and Salt-N-Pepa embraced the freedom to express their style, rocking asymmetrical haircuts, shaved sides, colorful-patterned Kente Kufi hats, custom 8 Ball Jackets and Payless boots.
“When I look at those pictures now by Janette Beckman, we look like superheroes,” she laughs. “What were we thinking? We were being hip-hop in our minds. Every look, for the most part, was us. It was just some round-the-way girls doing round-the-way stuff.”
Salt-N-Pepa’s lyrics also served as a source of empowerment. They were never coy about female pleasure and autonomy, and in 1990, they pushed conventional barriers by challenging the taboos.
With the release of “Let’s Talk About Sex,” the group and their producer, Hurby “Luv Bug” Azor, wanted to get that dialogue rolling. They thought the radio would likely shy away from playing it, but the song hit the airwaves, albeit with backlash.
James said the song was meant to be proactive and the lyrics were intended to be informational, rather than explicit. She added that part of the controversy that came from parents and fans likely resulted in them not listening to the lyrics and simply hearing the word “sex” in the title and running the other way.
“The song is a neutral song, and if you know it, it’s just saying, why can’t we have this conversation?” she said. “This is an important conversation to have with your kids, spouse, or lover, so let’s talk about it.”
In 1994, Salt-N-Pepa remixed the song and released “Let’s Talk About AIDS” at the request of TV news journalist Peter Jennings, who called and asked the trio if they would rework it to be a part of this special he was doing about HIV and AIDS, so James rewrote it and turned it into a PSA.
The new lyrics were, “I got some news for you, so listen, please/It’s not a Black, white, or gay disease” and “To the unconcerned and uninformed/You think you can’t get it?/Well, you’re wrong/Don’t dismiss, dis, or blacklist the topic/That ain’t gonna stop it/Now if you go about it right, you just might save your life/Don’t be uptight/Come join the fight!”
While the release of the original inspired sex education and positivity in schools and colleges, the remix sought to destigmatize a disease that was widely misunderstood when it emerged. James understood the connection between lack of sex education and AIDS and wanted to get everyone else to understand that it could happen to them or anyone else.
“That moment was important for Pep and me because I remember us having a conversation about Magic Johnson, when he announced that he was HIV positive,” she said. “It made us think about how many degrees of separation it was for us, and it was like, wow, this is serious business. So, as far as getting the awareness out there, it became dear to our hearts.”
Salt-N-Pepa and Spinderella
When: 10 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 31.
Where: Yaamava’ Resort & Casino, 777 San Manuel Blvd. S, Highland.
Tickets: $79-$163 at yaamava.com.
