Salt-N-Pepa Joins Smirnoff ICE Relaunch Tour Benefitting Women In Music

Iconic hip hop group Salt-N-Pepa hit the stage for a special performance in the Smirnoff ICE Relaunch Tour on Thursday night in Lake of the Ozarks, Missouri.

Cheryl “Salt” James and Sandra “Pepa” Denton, had some time before getting ready for their performance to speak to The Blast exclusively about the show, what upcoming projects they have, earning a spot on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and more. 

The hip hop duo heard about the Relaunch tour through their management and thought it would be a great thing to be a part of the show so they can help support women in music because they said, "we are women in music."

All proceeds from ticket sales for the Thursday night show that Salt-N-Pepa are a part of will directly support nonprofit Women In Music, an organization committed to advancing equality, visibility and opportunities for women in musical arts through education, recognition, support and empowerment.

"Smirnoff ICE is not only celebrating its iconic status of more than 23 years connecting people with experiences they remember, but even more importantly, the brand is shining a spotlight on our newest partnership with Women in Music to push gender equality in music and entertainment," said Lisa Lee, Smirnoff ICE Brand Director, in a statement released earlier in the tour schedule. "We're proud to bring some of the hottest female talent of our time to the stage at each tour date this summer, kicking off with a one-two punch in LA and Dallas."

Salt-N-Pepa's music has spanned multiple decades. They have fans in all ages and see multiple generations in the audience of their shows. When they first got started in the industry more than 30 years ago, Salt knew their music career would take them far.

"I wasn't very good in college, and that's where I met Pep, and I was like, I don't think I'm a school person. So the first time I got on a mic, I was like, this is what I wanna do, and I just felt like it was something special that would be great," she explained exclusively to The Blast. "Did I think it would last this long? Probably not. We're working more now, or just as much now as we ever did, which is very unexpected, but also amazing and we really appreciate the love and support that we've been getting our whole entire careers."

Pepa added, "Coming from that era when the number one question was, 'Will hip hop last?' and we're actually here celebrating 50 years of hip hop.

Salt said that is just a "testament to the longevity of good music, timeless music."

The duo is currently celebrating the 30th anniversary of their albums and are in the studio working on some new music. So they are far from done entertaining all their fans, old and new.

Back in November of last year, they earned a spot on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, which was a long time coming.

"Long time coming and you always feel good when it does come and the timing was great. I was like, well, yup, we got our name stamped in the earth. We worked hard so it feels amazing when we get those accolades," Pepa said. Salt added, "I remember the first time we actually came to L.A. back in the day and walking the Walk of Fame and looking at all the stars and never really even thought that would be something that we would get to experience.

During their long and exciting career, they experienced many milestones. When asked if they had a favorite moment throughout their career, they reminisced about boycotting the Grammys and what that one decision has done for a lifetime for hip hop music.

"I think the boycotting the Grammys and winning a Grammy a few years after boycotting it for hip hop to be televised. That was a big moment," Pepa told The Blast. "And it was as women in hip hop when it was such a male dominated field. Taking a stand like that, it felt good. It was bold for sure."

Salt added, "We didn’t know really how significant it was at the time, but we really helped to get hip hop included in the Grammys as a visual, because like Pep said, it was just being announced but we weren’t allowed to actually come and receive our award."

She also shared another big moment that holds a special place in her heart.

"And hands down for me was the first time we heard our record on the radio. That was super exhilarating, because we had been waiting week after week because that was when you can hear hip hop on the weekend only so everyone was tuning in," she said. "And we kept waiting cause we thought they were gonna play it and one day we were driving and they finally played ‘The Showstoppa,’ which was our first record, and we went crazy. Pep jumped out of the car screaming ‘That’s my record on the radio.’ And I was like, ‘Get back in the car cause I really want to hear the song.’"

With so many amazing hits, it might be tough to pick your favorite one. But when asked if there was a song that they just absolutely love to perform, they both responded at the same time - "Shoop."

Smirnoff ICE Relaunch tour has just two more stops left - Atlanta on August 17 and Charlotte on August 31. All ticket sales will go towards benefitting Women In Music. Find out more information on their website.