The trio that brought us hits like Push It!, Shoop and I’ll Take Your Man are finally getting the flowers they deserve. The group was recognized after over 30 years in the industry by getting their star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Cheryl “Salt” James, Sandra “Pepa” Denton, and Deidra “DJ Spinderella” Roper were each at the ceremony, making this their first appearance together since Spinderella left the group 2019.
The DJ’s exit followed a lawsuit over alleged unpaid royalties and also claimed to have received a “termination” email to leave the group. Since then, Spinderella has claimed she was wrongly left out of the group’s Lifetime biopic and that the relationship between her and the remaining members was over. Luckily the group put it all aside to receive their honor for their trailblazing work in hip-hop.
Salt-N-Pepa also won a Grammy award in 1995 in the“Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group” category for their song None of Your Business.
When discussing their journey, Salt gave some advice for attendees. “Your setback is a setup for your comeback,” she recalled. “Everything you’re experiencing and learning along the way is preparing you for what you asked for, for what you prayed for.”
During Pepa’s speech she touched on the current state of hip-hop and the impact the group had on the culture, specifically for women in the game.
“It was a No. 1 question, will hip-hop last,” she mentions. “And I was like, ‘Yo, they love us all over this world.’ And look at that. Hip-hop has lasted for the women. We gotta keep empowering each other like we do, lifting each other up, pass the torch. And I’m telling you, this is our time as well. And it goes to show you that Salt-N-Pepa got a stamp on the Earth.”
Even Spindarella said a few words about how grateful she was for the group. “Women everywhere were inspired, forever changed by the message of strength and independence,” she says. “And what our message did for you guys, it also did for me as well… Thank you S and P for mentoring me. Salt, Pep, life lessons. We’ve been through the ups and downs. But I have to thank you for those lessons. Because it wasn’t just the music to me. It was our relationship. And that means everything to me. So whatever we gotta do to fix that, let’s get some unity back in this. Let’s figure it out and be iconic and be what the fans want.”
The trio received the 2,738th star on legendary walkway.