The groundbreaking hip-hop group Salt-N-Pepa set the standard for female rappers in the ’80s and enjoyed massive crossover success the following decade. • Cheryl James (Salt) and Sandra Denton (Pepa) met at Queensborough Community College in New York City while studying nursing and became friendly as coworkers at Sears. • In 1985, fellow Sears employee Hurbert “Hurby Luv Bug” Azor recruited James and Denton to record a song for his audio production class. The result was “The Show Stoppa,” credited to Super Nature, a response to rappers Doug E. Fresh and Slick Rick’s “The Show.” • As Salt-N-Pepa—now a trio featuring DJ Spinderella—they broke through with the 1987 smash “Push It,” off their debut album Hot, Cool & Vicious. The single earned a Grammy nomination for Best Rap Performance and made Salt-N-Pepa the first female rap act to go platinum. • Salt-N-Pepa turned heads with their blunt, topical 1991 single “Let’s Talk About Sex,” their second Top 20 hit on the Hot 100. • The group’s blockbuster fourth album, 1993’s Very Necessary, spawned two Top 5 hits: the En Vogue-assisted “Whatta Man” and “Shoop.” • They won their first Grammy in 1994, when “None of Your Business” took home Best Performance by a Group or Duo.