Since breaking out of New York with “Hot, Cool & Vicious,” their 1986 debut album, Salt-N-Pepa have pushed it real good for women in hip-hop.
“[MC] Lyte, Missy [Elliott], [Queen] Latifah — they’ve always said we made them want to be artists,” says Cheryl “Salt” James, 53, of SNP’s “pioneer” moves that paved the way for today’s female rappers such as Cardi B, Nicki Minaj and Lizzo. “To be the women who gave birth to a lot of that and were responsible for inspiring that . . . it’s amazing.”
Salt-N-Pepa will continue to shake it up on “Ladies’ Night,” their BET docu-series premiering Tuesday, which follows them and DJ Spinderella planning a tour with ’90s R&B girl group SWV. Sprinkled with some diva drama, the action takes place as the “Push It” ladies prepare to launch their Las Vegas residency — the first ever by a hip-hop act — which kicked off last October.
This is not the group’s first venture into the world of reality television: They starred in “The Salt-N-Pepa Show” on VH1 from 2007 to 2008. Sandra “Pepa” Denton has had even more experience in the reality game, appearing on “The Surreal Life” in 2005 and recently playing a supporting role on “Growing Up Hip Hop” as the mom of Egypt Criss, her 20-year-old daughter with Naughty by Nature’s Treach.
“I know the good and the bad of reality TV. I already know what time that is,” says Pepa, 52. “I still go through it on reality TV.”
But on “Ladies’ Night,” Pep adds, “Nobody got slapped — thank God.”
While shooting “Ladies’ Night,” Salt was getting her single groove back after her divorce. “Me and my husband [music producer Gavin Wray] were together 28 years,” she says. “It was very hard; it was a very dark time in my life. Pep knows — I cried a million times in front of her.”
‘I know the good and the bad of reality TV.’
But in sassy SNP style, Salt’s ex has now been renamed as “This Too Shall Pass” in her phone contacts.
Known for their empowering expression on hits such as 1991’s “Let’s Talk About Sex” and 1993’s “Shoop,” Salt-N-Pepa are happy and proud to see a stronger female presence in rap again thanks to Cardi B and crew.
“There was a period of time where it was like, ‘Where’s all the girls?’ ” says Salt. “Now it’s bouncing back, and all these women are now starting to come up. I think the #MeToo movement might have pushed it along a little bit . . . It makes sense that now they’re paying attention to a lot of different women.”
Still, as demonstrated by last year’s Cardi-Nicki beef, there isn’t always a spirit of sisterhood among today’s female MCs. “You’re in the media, you’re young, and you go through things,” says Pepa.
Whatever beefs they might have had in the past, though, Pepa wants the rapstresses to show respect by “not dissing” each other — and, to that end, she’s already noticed some progress: “I see the growth.”
And Salt-N-Pepa say they will never outgrow performing their signature song, “Push It.”
“I’ma tell you why we don’t get sick of it: Because it’s the last song!” says Salt with a laugh. “We ’bout to get offstage, so we love ‘Push It.’ ”
SWV on surviving reality TV
SWV’s Tamara “Taj” Johnson-George — one-third of the ’90s R&B girl group (“Weak,” “Right Here”) who’s mixing with Salt-N-Pepa in the BET docuseries “Ladies’ Night,” premiering Tuesday — already knew just how real reality TV can get: She was a contestant on “Survivor: Tocantins” in 2009.
“They stick you out there in that jungle — you don’t have s - - t!,” says Johnson-George. “No toilet tissue, no soap, nothing! You literally have to become one with the Earth . . . I’m thinking you film for a couple of hours, you go back to the room, you start back tomorrow and they throw some dirt on you. No!”
But despite the head-to-toe bug bites and the utter “starvation,” the experience had its benefits. “When I came back home, I was appreciating cheese sandwiches, bread and butter,” says Johnson-George. “I was definitely looking at everything I was blessed with differently. You didn’t hear no complaints from me.”
When it comes to reality shows, SWV’s Cheryl “Coko” Clemons picks “Love After Lockup,” “Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta” and “Dr. Pimple Popper” as her faves. Meanwhile, third member Leanne “Lelee” Lyons is a big fan of the Investigation Discovery channel: “I think everybody’s trying to kill me, and I don’t trust anyone!”