Pepa
of Salt-N-Pepa
Artist Links
3 RIAA Platinum Singles – “Push It”, “Expression” and “Whatta Man”
3 RIAA Gold Singles – “Do you want me?”, “Let’s Talk About Sex” and “Shoop”
2 Top 10 Billboard 200 US Singles – “Shoop” and “Whatta Man”
5x RIAA Platinum Album Peaked #4 on Billboard (Very Necessary)
2 RIAA Platinum Albums- (Hot, Cool & Vicious and Black’s Magic)
2 RIAA Gold Albums – (A Salt with a Deadly Pepa and Brand New)
Artist Bio
Sandra “Pepa” Denton was born on November 9, 1969, in Kingston, Jamaica. She was the youngest of eight children, and she lived on a farm with her grandmother until she was 6 years old. She then moved to the borough of Queens in New York City, where her parents had moved three years earlier and her older siblings had gradually followed. She eventually graduated from high school in Queens and enrolled in nursing courses at Queensborough Community College.
While in college, Denton met fellow student Cheryl James. After they met aspiring producer Hurby “Luv Bug” Azor, it resulted in the song titled “The Show Stopper,” which released as a single in 1985 and became an underground hit. The duo of Denton and James named themselves Salt-N-Pepa, and with Azor as their manager and Pamela Latoya Greene joining them as their DJ, they were signed by the label, Next Plateau. The group’s debut album, Hot, Cool & Vicious, was released in 1986.