Right On! Digital’s Cynthia Horner caught up with friends Cheryl “Salt” James and Sandy “Pepa” Denton to discuss the movie of a Lifetime, which airs January 23, 2021 on Lifetime TV. The film stars GG Townson as Cheryl “Salt” James, Laila Odom as Sandra “Pepa” Denton, Cleveland Berto as music producer “Hurby Azor,” Jermel Howard as rapper “Treach” and Monique Paul as “DJ Spinderella.”
SALT-N-PEPA is a no-holds-barred story of two friends, Cheryl “Salt” James and Sandra “Pepa” Denton, who enter the competitive hip hop world through their initial recordings with friend/producer Hurby Azor. As they rise to the top, love lives plummet, but they pave the way for other female artists. Many of their big hits, including: “Let’s Talk About Sex”, “What a Man”, “Shoop” and “Push It” are included in the fascinating story.
Right On! Digital: How did it feel going from your early days as Sears employees to becoming icons who would withstand the test of time and be in a position to have a biopic on the Lifetime Channel?
Sandra “Pepa” Denton: Thank you, Cynthia. Oh, man for me. I mean, it’s just amazing. It’s something, you know, to have a biopic, especially for us: the journey and being in such a male-dominated field and so many barriers that we broke down. Along the journey there were some ups and downs. I always said to have a biopic, to be here, to talk about it and be celebrated because there were a lot of times when the biopic was out, the artist wasn’t there to celebrate it. And I remember watching Tina Turner’s and her story ended on stage. And I was like, “man, if I ever do a movie, I want it to be just like that.” I wanna be doing my show when I’m doing my thing and it celebrates my work, my legacy and I’m seeing it come to pass. I’m living it. I’m experiencing it and it’s just amazing. I’m very humbled. I couldn’t have done it without the fans.
Cheryl “Salt” James: For me with Salt-N-Pepa, it was just destiny for us. You know, the way our story unfolded from the beginning until now. To be here 36 years later, to be celebrated not only with the biopic but with the Walk of Fame. We got our star on the Walk of Fame! We’re getting the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. It’s the career that people dream about having, from beginning to end. Who would’ve thought? I always knew we were going to make it as artists, but I never, in my wildest dreams, thought that at this particular time in my life, that I would still be doing press junkets and tours. And basically crying for a break sometimes. I just say this: was destiny for us, and we’ve been well celebrated for our whole career. We even took a 10-year hiatus and came back. We never skipped a beat. For this generation to know who we are and our music, is incredible. We’re not just artists; we are a brand. We created a brand. We created a movement. We made a statement that left an imprint on people, not only their minds, but with their hearts. They have so much love for us and we do for the fans and people who are our supporters as well.
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