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TV Movie Review: Lifetime's Salt-N-Pepa Biopic

Eric Deggans

The new movie, Salt-N-Pepa , is about one of the first and most successful all-female rap groups. The film was executive produced by Queen Latifah and directed by Mario Van Peebles.

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Salt-N-Pepa Reviews

[Salt-N-Pepa] is buoyed by the music from the hip hop team, the spirited performances from GG Townson and Lalia Odom as Cheryl "Salt" James and Sandra "Pepa" Denton respectively.

Full Review | Jan 25, 2021

Salt-N-Pepa (2021 TV Movie)

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'Salt-N-Pepa' Review: Lifetime's biopic needs you to look beyond your screens to soak it all

Let's talk about Salt-N-Pepa! The legendary female hip-hop pioneers are making their way to your TV screens today (January 23) for a brand-new biopic aptly titled 'Salt-N-Pepa'. Movie stars GG Townson portraying Salt, Laila Odom as Pepa, Cleveland Berto as music producer Hurby Azor, Jermel Howard as rapper Treach and Monique Paul as DJ Spinderella form the cast. With a total runtime of over two hours, the film has done an exquisite job of including as much content as viewers would want to enjoy, but this is also where it can fall short at times.

We will discuss some of the negatives before diving into some of its many plus points. The movie opens in the present day of 2005, when Salt and Pepa reunited to perform at VH-1's Hip Hop Honors and when they hadn't spoken to each other for years. The opening scene signals a sense of tension among the two stars and instead of inducing a feeling of mystery or suspense, it can feel disorienting and awkward, especially if you're not necessarily a fan or follower of their history.

After they get on the stage together and before their performance, it cuts back into their origin timeline in 1985 — when the story unfolds. It's all a quick succession of critical events from there which often tends to make the acting feel forced — not enhancing serious dialogues, or contrasting enough from the fun stuff — leaving the viewer unsure of which moments in their past are more crucial to experience their journey.

Suggesting you look beyond the "TV movie" lens and focus on the project's message, it is easy to get lost in the music, the story, and all its charms. Over the underlining component of being a woman up against the typically male competition, the biopic is all about friendship. Finding the proverbial "salt" to your "pepper" and vice versa will set you on a road with someone where challenges that could potentially break you are what ultimately make you strong — that's where the empowerment lies. Relationships matter, even if business protocol preaches against it, and 'Salt-N-Pepa' embraces it. 

Heading into the music of 'Salt-N-Pepa' and what you'd hope for is all there. Fans will get to see what it's like to start from the bottom and become the next big thing with business smarts, determined confidence, and a whole lot of sass.

GG Townson and Laila Odom give relatable performances of an amateurish start with a lot of headspace to wonder whether to turn left or right. Increasingly, their drive and loyalty push them through to knowing exactly who they are and what they want. There is also a build-up of fun — like a shy person attending a party and as the music elevates, they can't help themself but get pulled to the beat in the name of music and freedom of restraint. Salt-N-Pepa's classic songs 'Push It', 'Let's Talk About Sex', and more hit hard and the sense of nostalgia fires on all cylinders. It's wild, it's fun, and oh-so old-school.

We also get to see some iconic outfits such as the eight-ball jackets from their 1986 'Push It' music video, or the combo of their black bras, biker shorts, and signature knee pads. The acting paired with the atmosphere of each scene feels so '80s-'90s and the old-school vibe is celebrated while at the same time, Salt and Pepa carry the prowess of a modern empowered woman.

Whether you're from a young generation or have lived in that era, there is a lot of meat as to why such things became catchy in the first place. You're forgiven if you want to adopt the style again after watching. Salt-N-Pepa were pioneers, and when the music kicks in, it has to be respected, even if you don't know the history of hip-hop.

TV Movie Review: Lifetime's Salt-N-Pepa Biopic

MICHEL MARTIN, HOST:

Rap duo Salt-N-Pepa were hit machines in the 1980s and '90s with huge songs like "Let's Talk About Sex," their collaboration with En Vogue, "Whatta Man," and "Push It."

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "PUSH IT")

SALT-N-PEPA: (Rapping) Salt-N-Pepa's here, and we're in effect. Want you to push it, babe, coolin' (ph)...

MARTIN: Tonight, the cable channel Lifetime is airing a new scripted biopic about the pioneering group known as the first ladies of hip-hop. NPR TV critic Eric Deggans has this review.

ERIC DEGGANS, BYLINE: Before we talk about what Lifetime's movie "Salt-N-Pepa" is, let's spend a moment on what it is not. It is not a prestige project filled with big names destined to become a darling of highbrow critics. But it is a scrappy, fun, emotional look at a group that challenged the male-centered rap world and sold more than 15 million records powered by some of the hippest tunes in rap history.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "SHOOP")

SALT-N-PEPA: (Singing) I wanna shoop (ph), baby, shoop.

DEGGANS: Like any good origin story, Lifetime's Salt-N-Pepa" soars highest when documenting early success. In the mid-'80s, Cheryl Salt James was dating an aspiring producer, Hurby Luv Bug Azor, who had a million-dollar idea. Back in the day, up-and-coming rap acts got attention by cutting diss tracks - catchy singles that insulted big stars. But when Salt got a friend who worked with her at Sears to rap on Hurby's diss track, Sandra Pepa Denton wasn't so sure.

(SOUNDBITE OF FILM, "SALT-N-PEPA")

LAILA ODOM: (As Sandra Pepa Denton) Yo, are you sure you want me to say everything on this page?

CLEVELAND BERTO: (As Hurby Azor) Yeah. Why?

ODOM: (As Sandra Pepa Denton) Because we dissin' (ph) Doug E. Fresh and Slick Rick. And me and she ain't no rappers. They're going to be, like, who is these girls dissin' us?

BERTO: (As Hurby Azor) That's the exact point. This track is going to get us recognized. Hip-hop is all about attitude, all right? We got to go in there, let them know we're here, and we ain't scared. All right? They come here with the show, we come with "The Showstopper."

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "THE SHOWSTOPPER")

SALT-N-PEPA: (Singing) Please, please, please don't stop. Please, please please...

DEGGANS: The song that resulted, "The Showstopper," got play on New York City radio and provided their name.

SALT-N-PEPA: (Rapping) All right, now. I'm going to show you how it's supposed to be 'cause (ph) we, the Salt and Pepa MCs, will chance...

DEGGANS: The film drops all kinds of cool tidbits. Early on, they worked in one of the most star-studded Sears call centers of all time. Comic Martin Lawrence and rap duo Kid 'n Play answered phones there, too, before they got famous. Neither Salt nor Pepa were all that excited about rapping until Hurby pushed them. And when Pepa caught Hurby cheating on Salt in a club, he called her the worst insult he could think of - ghetto.

BERTO: (As Hurby Azor) I don't do ghetto. I let those other rappers be gangsta nasty because what I found out is the music you make reflects the life you live. You say anything about the night, I'll drop you quicker than a teenage flop.

ODOM: (As Sandra Pepa Denton) That's the best you got? There's nothing I could tell Cheryl that she don't already know.

DEGGANS: For rap fans of a certain age, this film is packed with nostalgia, offering the backstory behind hits like "Shoop," "Push It" and Salt's anthem for creative independence, "Expression."

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "EXPRESSION")

SALT-N-PEPA: (Rapping) Go ahead, girls - express yourself. My party's your party. Go ahead, drop in. Cold hip-hoppin' is always rockin' (ph). Don't you like it when the music drop?

DEGGANS: Executive produced by Queen Latifah and directed by Mario Van Peebles, the film is a bit more ambitious and authentic than many biopics. That this movie is coming from female-centered cable channel Lifetime instead of an outlet focused on Black viewers like BET, TV One or OWN is important. It shows how essential Black viewers, especially Black women, have become to traditional cable channels.

Best of all, the film deploys classic elements of all Lifetime movies - female friendships found, lost and found again, abusive, cheating men shown the door. But they're in service of a different story - to give props to a legendary group whose history should have been told like this long before now.

SALT-N-PEPA: (Rapping) Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah.

DEGGANS: I'm Eric Deggans.

SALT-N-PEPA: (Rapping) You know life, oh, yeah, is all about expression. You only live once, and you're not coming back. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.

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[Review] ‘Salt-N-Pepa’ Biopic: “Real Sassy, Sophisticated, Ride or Die Sisterhood” (4/5 Stars)

Lifetime will premiere the biopic about the evolution of the first iconic female hip hop group, “ Salt-N-Pepa” on January 23, 2020, at 8/7c.  The movie stars GG Townson as Cheryl “Salt” James, Laila Odom as Sandra ‘Pepa’ Denton, Cleveland Berti as music producer ‘Hurby Azor’ and Monique Paul as ‘DJ Spinderella.’ Directed by Mario Van Peebles, the film is executive produced by Cheryl James , Sandra Denton , and Queen Latifah. (Scroll down to watch the trailer) 

“Salt-N-Pepa” details the journey of Queensborough Community College nursing students Cheryl ‘Salt’ James and Sandra ‘Pepa’ Denton as they enter the world of rap and hip hop, after recording a song for their friend Hurby Azor. Salt-N-Pepa made a huge impact as one of the first all-female rap groups, changing the look of hip hop and being unafraid to talk about sex and share their thoughts on men.

The movie follows the group as they become the first female rap act to go platinum and experience ground-breaking success with multiple awards, including a Grammy award – paving the way for all female rappers to follow. The biopic will feature performances of Salt-N-Pepa’s greatest hits, including: “Let’s Talk About Sex”, “What a Man”, “Shoop” and “Push It.”

Watch the “Salt-N-Pepa” movie trailer:

During a virtual press conference, a ctors  GG Townson and Laila Odom explained how imperative it was that they develop a true friendship between the two actors. They wanted to make sure what you saw on screen was the same relationship Cheryl and Sandra experienced. In this three-hour tribute to these women, you’ll see the evolution of them in their careers, relationships, and womanhood. 

This will be the film you want to watch with your girlfriends. It is not only a front-row seat to this legendary duo but also a true grown woman friendship. The story of a friendship being tested through every trial and tribulation in life is truly inspiring. Tune into the evening of sassy, sophisticated, ride or die sisterhood.

All photos courtesy of Lifetime (A+E Networks)

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Salt-N-Pepa, Hip-Hop Duo That Spoke Up for Women, Tell Their Own Story

In a new biopic for Lifetime, this rap group that got its start in 1980s New York traces its roots and its conflicts.

By Steve Knopper

While selling warranties on washing machines from a Sears call center in Queens, the friends Cheryl James and Sandra Denton came together as a hip-hop duo called Super Nature with the staccato 1985 track “The Show Stoppa (Is Stupid Fresh).” When they first heard it on the radio, they danced together on top of a car. It was just the beginning: James became Salt and Denton became Pepa; the group changed its name and scored 10 hits on the Hot 100, including the ’80s dance classic “Push It” and the ’90s sex anthem “Shoop,” becoming one of the few superstar female acts of hip-hop’s male-dominated golden era.

Fixtures on the I Love the ’90s tour circuit in recent years, the two tell their story in a new Lifetime biopic , “Salt-N-Pepa,” out Saturday, that captures both the rush of touring the world and the conflicts that broke them up in 2002. The group’s longtime D.J., Spinderella, is a character in the film, too, but the biopic doesn’t cover her unsuccessful lawsuit against the duo, which was filed in 2019. The film — which they executive produced along with Queen Latifah and others — begins and ends on a note of unity, showing their 2005 reunion for a VH1 event.

“It was something me and Pep had been shopping around,” Salt said. “Pep called and was like, ‘Girl, we have to do our movie before someone else does.’” Latifah, an old friend, attended meetings where they picked the director (Mario Van Peebles) and screenwriter (Abdul Williams of “The Bobby Brown Story”).

The duo’s “Laverne & Shirley”-style partnership — Salt calm and precise, Pepa loose and boisterous — has endured despite a dispute with the man who helped them get their start, abuse, divorce and plain old Salt vs. Pepa personality conflicts. “We get to tell a 36-years lifetime in like two and a half hours,” Pepa said on a group Zoom interview. These are edited excerpts from the conversation.

For a movie about the journey of two women, your producer and manager Hurby Azor, known as “Luv Bug,” plays a big role as a crucial creative force, especially at the beginning. How much did you grapple with the decision to emphasize his character?

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TV Movie Review: Lifetime's Salt-N-Pepa Biopic

• Eric Deggans

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Details the journey of Cheryl “Salt” James and Sandra “Pepa” Denton.

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About the movie.

Salt-N-Pepa details the journey of Queensborough Community College students Cheryl “Salt” James and Sandra “Pepa” Denton as they enter the world of rap and hip hop, after recording a song for their friend Hurby Azor. Salt-N-Pepa made a huge impact as one of the first all-female rap groups, changing the look of hip hop and being unafraid to talk about sex and share their thoughts on men. The movie follows the group as they become the first female rap act to go platinum and experience ground-breaking success with multiple awards, including a Grammy award – paving the way for all female rappers to follow. The film will feature performances of Salt-N-Pepa’s greatest hits, including: “Let’s Talk About Sex”, “What a Man”, “Shoop” and “Push It”. The movie 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.”

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Salt-n-pepa.

Directed by Mario Van Peebles

Salt-N-Pepa details the journey of Queensborough Community College students Cheryl “Salt” James and Sandra “Pepa” Denton as they enter the world of rap and hip hop, after recording a song for their friend Hurby Azor. Salt-N-Pepa made a huge impact as one of the first all-female rap groups, changing the look of hip hop and being unafraid to talk about sex and share their thoughts on men. The movie follows the group as they become the first female rap act to go platinum and experience ground-breaking success with multiple awards, including a Grammy award – paving the way for all female rappers to follow. The film will feature performances of Salt-N-Pepa’s greatest hits, including: “Let’s Talk About Sex”, “What a Man”, “Shoop” and “Push It”. The movie 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.”

G.G. Townson Laila Odom Jermel Howard Cleveland Berto Monique Jasmine Paul Isys Alexis Denver Taylor Bronson Phillip Lake Devante Senior Mandela Van Peebles Molly Lewis

Director Director

Mario Van Peebles

Writer Writer

Abdul Williams

Lifetime Sony Pictures Television Studios

Drama Music

Releases by Date

23 jan 2021, releases by country.

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Popular reviews

Review by DreamScape40 ★★★★

Not knowing much about "Salt n Pepa" other than the few popular songs growing up with, heck I didn't even know their names for which I had to look up online first when starting the movie to know who was who.. And I gotta say this was good. The backbone story with these ladies is incredible. Kinda feel bad for the 3rd gal "DJ Spinderella" and yet at the same time not sure why she was part of the group. But I guess the focus here was not on her and in a way I wished her lil story was in the mix. Overall, the story was good. Had a good cast. And loved singing along with the songs :)

Review by B E R T ★★★★

I had a ball watching this. My knowledge of Salt-N-Pepa is limited to knowing a handful of their hits and bops and remembering that when I was a kid my sister was a big fan and had posters on her wall. Going into it pretty blind not knowing much of their story made for a rather eye-opening watch, women are always so taken advantage of in the music industry. It’s kind of as you’d expect in regards to the way it’s put together, biopics always follow a formula, but it works and always makes for a fun and entertaining watch. The songs were great, the outfits were amazing, the wigs had me gagging. The 2 actresses killed it. Fun times.

Review by Dan_Tebasco ★★½

Hard film to rate, it's a lifetime biopic and it follows the mold of all these films before it. But it's slightly better in terms of acting, and the lipsynced performances don't feel as cringy as they tend to.

I'm not really big on Salt N Pepa as a group, while I dug (and still dig) alot of female rappers like Lauryn Hill, Lady of Rage, Da Brat, Foxy Brown, Lil Kim, MC Lyte and TLC's Left Eye for some reason Salt N Pepa's music never clicked with me. Have nothing against most their songs they just don't do anything for me.

Anyway a good biopic should be enjoyable wether you're a fan of the music or not. And this…

Review by Peter Bódi ★★★

I LOVE Salt-N-Pepa ...but this movie's borderline exhausting. I mean this thing moves . The plot progression and flow of events is in such a rush to get through that wiki timeline - with information rarely exceeding surface vignettes - that it fails to leave any deep, or lasting impression. It's Lifetime. It is what it is. The surface is fine . At least it's never boring and the relationship work's real nice. Absolutely loved G.G. Townson, and I cannot go without mentioning how ridiculously attractive Laila Odom is. Very well could've been a 6-10 part series, though.

Review by Bendito ★★★★

I mean it’s a lifetime movie of salt n pepa. You get all the hits, plus some bad wigs, and some worse CGI backgrounds. I’ll watch this anytime I see it on tv on a Sunday afternoon for the next 3-5 years. Honestly I’m still on such a high just thinking about Salt n Pepa and Kid n Play and Martin Lawrence all working together at a Sears Call Center circa 1985. WHEN IS THAT SITCOM COMING TO US? Bonus: Asymmetrical haircut origin story.

Review by OGCinephile ★★½

It's a Lifetime joint so it's pretty corny, but the cast seem to be enjoying themselves and it's a decent watch. It can be a little all over the place but such is life in a music biopic. The runtime is a bit aggressive as well.

Review by Henrika ★★★

Lifetime movies are generally an experience unto themselves. This one I definitely enjoyed though. Watching the relationship between Cheryl and Sandy form, grow, crumble but eventually endure was worth all the usual shortcomings.

Also learning Kid ‘n Play, Salt-N-Pepa and Martin Lawrence all worked at the same Sears in Queens selling warranties in the ‘80s, lol 👌, would have made the viewing worth it as well.

Review by David Rosen ★★★

This movie was a LOT...

Pepa gives birth during a lightning storm. Pepa bungee jumping into bed with Treach. Salt n Pepa having telekinetic talking abilities.

But it was probably the best Lifetime biopic and one of the better Lifetime movies overall.

Anyway... Can't wait for part 2 of the SCU... The Sears Cinematic Universe.

Review by flurryheaven ★★★

Who would've thought so many soon to be famous people worked at a Sears calling center at the same time.

I spent three hours watching this nostalgic trip down memory lane on Lifetime. I'm really glad that Salt N' Pepa got a biopic, they truly deserve one, but did they deserve this one? I'm conflicted, I liked a lot of this movie, and the cast was solid, but it's too long and feels like it's plodding along at times. The costumes, actors, and recreations of videos and certain memorable moments were spot on, it was all coming back to me. They nailed the feel of the era well. I was a big fan back then, still am, and I can…

Review by thepandamayhem ★★★

#25 of 2021.

I’m a sucker for lifetime movies, and I love Salt-N-Pepa. This was a lot of fun to watch.

Review by diegesis ★★

The most shocking thing to learn was the Sears connection: Salt-N-Pepa, Kid ‘n Play, and Martin Lawerence were all coworkers in the call center.

It was cute that the producers had their real-life daughters Egypt and Corin play their Salt-N-Pepa impersonators at one of their early booked gigs.

Review by Jordan Brown ★★★

I never expect anything spectacular from a Lifetime movie, a biopic, or a Lifetime biopic. If you just accept that "Salt-N-Pepa" is nothing more than just a Lifetime biopic (meaning everything is not going to be discussed or accurate), you’ll probably find it a decent watch. As well as messy. "Salt-N-Pepa" is not a terrible biopic, and is actually long enough for you to get to know the film’s version of the titular rappers. Whether or not most things about the girls themselves are accurate depends on Cheryl “Salt” James and Sandra “Pepa” Denton, who were involved with the entire project.

However, to say that “Salt-N-Pepa” felt incomplete would be an understatement. This is because only the main rappers were…

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The 10 Most Shoop-Tastic Moments in Lifetime’s Salt-N-Pepa Biopic

By Rob Sheffield

Rob Sheffield

A Lifetime biopic about Salt-N-Pepa ? Pick up on this! If you happen to love both Lifetime movies and Eighties rap goddesses, Salt-N-Pepa has everything: Two around-the-way girls meet in school, bond over music, break into the NYC hip-hop game, and blow up into superstars, with hits like “Push It” and “Shoop” and “Let’s Talk About Sex.” Salt-N-Pepa is directed by Mario Van Peebles, who made New Jack City and Posse back in the day, so he gets the Club MTV-era ambience right. This movie ain’t for everybody, only the sexy people.

There’s no other music story like this one. Cheryl “Salt” James (played by G.G. Townson) is the goody-goody church girl from Brooklyn, Sandra “Pepa” Denton (Laila Odom) is the wild thing from Queens, but somehow they click. They were friends first, and you could always hear that in their voices. As Pepa told me in 2017, when I interviewed them backstage at the I Love the Nineties Tour, “We were besties before we were Salt-N-Pepa.”

The biggest challenge for a movie about them is that Salt and Pepa have such larger-than-life personalities, it’s tough for actresses to match that. If you’ve had the pleasure of seeing these legends live, you know they’re still as cool and charismatic as ever. Lifetime is following the bio with a doc that’s just a brief Zoom chat, but it’s even more dramatic than the film. Salt: “I’m just a crier! I’m a crying lady — it’s hard to watch.” Pepa: “I’ve been married three-and-a-half times. I’m Hollywood, honey — I was like Elizabeth Taylor and her husbands!”

Salt-N-Pepa have told their tale before — notably in their 2007 VH1 reality show (called, what else, The Salt-N-Pepa Show ), where they faced up to their issues, including tension with DJ Spinderella, who never felt accepted as part of the group. At first they were dismissed as a novelty, with street hits like “Tramp” and “My Mike Sounds Nice.” (Early fans loved to flip the “Tramp” 12-inch for the B-side “Idle Chatter,” just 90 seconds of Salt and Pepa in the studio talking shit about their enemies.) But everything changed when “Push It” blew up in 1988, as America’s suburban moms and aerobics teachers spent the summer chanting, “Oooh, baby BAY-bay! B-b-b-BAY-bay!” SNP kept raising the stakes: “Independent” was the first rap hit to claim the word “feminist” as a boast. Yet they fell out and stopped speaking for years, until an onstage reunion in 2005 for the VH1 Hip-Hop Honors.

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These two sounded like friends because they were friends, and for better or worse, they couldn’t fake it — when they stopped feeling close, they quit. Neither of them could just treat it like a job the way Run and D.M.C. did. They couldn’t bring the beat back without falling back in love. They’ve kept pushing it and shooping it ever since.

It’s a hip-hip story that’s perfect for a Lifetime melodrama: two women with big dreams, family pressures, men who do them wrong, sisterhood, stardom, lies, betrayal, tears, champagne baths, lessons learned, those moments where you have to put your doubts and fears aside to rock a leather jacket and biker shorts in front of screaming fans and chant, “Push it REAL good!” Here are the 10 moments that make the Salt-N-Pepa movie very necessary.

1. When Salt met Pepa The ladies meet at Queensbourgh Community College in 1985, playing spades in the lunch room. (When Pepa needs a partner, she calls out, “Hey, light-skin!”) Salt gets Pepa a job working the phones at the local Sears — their office-mates include Kid and Play (Kid’s already got the high-top fade) as well as a guy who wants to be a comedian. Cheryl clucks, “He thinks he’s gonna be the next Richard Pryor.” His name? Martin Lawrence.

2. Let the music play The MCs team up on the microphone, produced and mentored by Salt’s boyfriend Herbie “Luv Bug” Avor. Salt knows Herbie is her one true love: These two will be 2gether 4ever, and no way he would ever cheat on her with a back-up dancer, a DJ, or any other female characters. Leather varsity jackets? Hoop earrings? Kente hats? Big hair? It’s on.

3. Hard times Their first lesson in the sleazy side of the rap game: They show up for a gig, but there’s already a fake Salt-N-Pepa onstage, two imposters biting their rhymes. Herbie gets a beatdown behind the club from the shady promoter, who says, “I may not be a West Indian but I’m Indian, brother. Me and my peoples, we from the Slap-a-Ho tribe. Slap this ho!” Brilliant casting move: The imposters are played by Salt and Pepa’s real-life daughters.

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4. Spinderella joins the crew At the time, it was controversial that the DJ Spinderella on “Let’s Talk About Sex” wasn’t the same Spinderella from “I’ll Take Your Man.” You weren’t supposed to just replace your DJ and recycle their handle. But Herbie says, “Group members switch up all the time. Van Halen replaced their lead singer!” The new DJ gets the star treatment — she’s in the videos, on the album covers — but she’s always got beef with the MCs. (We heard a lot about her issues on the VH1 reality show.) Sure enough, after Spinderella gets hired, she’s barely mentioned the rest of the movie.

5. Their first red-carpet moment How do Salt and Pepa know they’ve finally hit the big time? They get invited to the premiere of Run-D.M.C.’s heavily hyped movie Krush Groove . At the party they meet their heroes like the Fat Boys, but Pepa just wants to mack on LL Cool J. Salt scoffs: “What is he, 17?” Since it’s 1985, the actor playing LL is chatting on an awesome cell phone the size of a mini fridge.

6. The drug scene Hey, it’s the Eighties. Pepa talks Salt into celebrating their success at a psychedelic rave, where their pastel clothes glow like neon and they roll around the floor feeling trippy. It’s like the “U4EA” episode of Beverly Hills, 90210 .

7. Welcome to motherhood Since this is a Lifetime biopic, the miracle of childbirth requires the two BFFs to have a serious heart-to-heart in the maternity ward. As Pepa suffers her labor pains, she looks deep into Salt’s eyes and says, “Bitch, don’t ever leave me!” Salt promises, “Never.”

8. Arsenio Fever! Would any movie set in the early 1990s be complete without a pivotal scene on The Arsenio Hall Show ? Salt’s man breaks up with her after she commits the unforgivable sin of forgetting to mention him during her Arsenio interview, right before she gives birth. Pepa goes looking for love in all the wrong places — i.e. MTV’s Spring Break in Daytona Beach, where she hooks up with Treach from Naughty By Nature. ” ‘O.P.P.’, that’s my joint!” she tells him. Unfortunately, both these ladies find the men in their lives can be down with O.P.P.

9. And then they break up As Salt gets deeper into her church life, she starts to feel unfulfilled. As she says in their fancy hotel suite, “Now our kids are growing up without us and we’re in Russia doing Yo! MTV Raps ?” The hits stop coming. (“Five years ago we played Woodstock, now you wanna settle for these little clubs?”) Salt cuts it off with a brutally cold call dumping Pepa. The news gets broken by Wendy Williams.

10. But now it’s time to get the group back together! It all builds up to their live 2005 reunion for VH1, introduced by Queen Latifah. (In truth, their split was so low-profile, most fans had no idea they’d broken up, much less that they stopped speaking. That’s why the world was so shocked by the 2007 reality show.) Back onstage, Salt and Pepa finally realize they belong together. Friendship triumphs again. Now and forever, Salt and Pepa’s here, in full effect.

Salt-N-Pepa airs Saturday, January 23rd at 8 p.m. ET, followed by the documentary special Let’s Talk About  Salt-N-Pepa at 11 p.m., on Lifetime.

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‘Salt-N-Pepa’ Duo Reveal The Part Of The Lifetime Biopic They Were ‘Nervous’ About

Salt-N-Pepa is getting the Lifetime treatment with a biopic airing Jan. 23. HL spoke EXCLUSIVELY with the ladies playing Salt and Pepa about taking on the iconic dynamic duo.

Lifetime is bringing fans the ultimate musical biopic with the release of Salt-N-Pepa on Jan. 23. G.G. Townson and Laila Odom star as the legendary duo, Cheryl “Salt” James and Sandra “Pepa” Denton . The film follows Salt and Pepa from nursing students to their rise to fame as one of the first all-female rap groups . GG and Laila opened up to HollywoodLife EXCLUSIVELY about playing these amazing women .

“What stood out for me the most with playing Cheryl was how open she was and how willing she was to tell her story,” GG told HollywoodLife . “Even through the process of us getting to know each other, [just] how open and detailed she was, even with things that she didn’t have to be about. We had a lot of conversations that were completely off of the script in the movie, just about life and life experiences that we shared with each other.”

As for Laila, she revealed that what stood out to her the most was she and Pepa have “this similarity that is just something that I didn’t know until I got around her. I didn’t know until I really started to talk to her. Before we were shooting, I read her book and then I met her. It was so special to meet someone that reminds you of yourself.”

Salt-N-Pepa’s biggest hits include “Push It,” “Whatta Man,” “Shoop,” and more. GG and Laila revealed what it was like tackling such well-known songs. They had to undergo weeks of training leading up to performing “Push It.”

“The day that we shot ‘Push It,’ I was so nervous and just shaking in my space boots,” GG admitted. “After we finished, I don’t know if you had this moment, Laila, but the way that the crew, because no one had seen it before, and the way that they were just cheering and even all of our background… It was as if we just had a concert, like, legit. That was such a dope moment because all the preparation that we’d been doing. But to actually put it on its feet and have that reaction and be able to pay that respect and the homage to them and get that reaction was dope for me.”

Learning choreography was tough, but it was worth it at the end of the day. “ So You Think You Can Dance is what it should have been titled because we both have a dance background, we’re performers, we’ve done this since we were kids, but nothing prepares you for a biopic like this,” Laila told HollywoodLife . “Whatever the dance was, we did the full song. So we didn’t do like, oh, let’s do 30 seconds. We knew choreo for the whole song, multiple songs. We perform ‘Push It’ twice as the video and then as a performance that happens later in their career… It’s just so amazing to be a part of history because we’re watching it, and then we’re recreating it. So it’s a level of we’re a part of it, too, now. Those moments are unforgettable, honestly.” Salt-N-Pepa will air at 8 p.m. on Lifetime.

Review: ‘Salt-N-Pepa’ Hip-Hop Duo The No Miss Movie Of The Week on Lifetime

The scoop for tonight’s Saturday night shoop is the Lifetime original movie, Salt-N-Pepa , a true rags-to-riches American story that is as much about the strength of female friendships as it is about making it in the music business with every star aligning. Salt-N-Pepa was the hip hop group that included Cheryl “Salt” James portrayed by GG Townson, Laila Odom cast as Sandra “Pepa” Denton and Monique Paul Deidra cast as “DJ Spinderella” Roper.

Salt-N-Pepa rolls us back in time to 1985 in Queensborough Community College where two students, Church going Cheryl “Salt” James and first-gen Jamaican Sandra “Pepa” Denton crossed paths and wound up working together at a Sears call center.  The call center in Queens employed not only these soon-to-be global superstars but the rap duo Kid ‘n Play and comic Martin Lawrence.

At that time the east coast – west coast male dominated world of rap and hip hop as a total boys club.  Salt’s boyfriend, up-and-comer Hurby Azor had a genius idea to play the status quo, as women were usually just the eye candy in videos. He wanted the women to take on the men in rapping.

A game plan was hatched. Spinderella Deidra was the second DJ that Hurby found who rounded out the duo. Decades later, Spin went after the two women over royalties and money issues.

Who knew Sears was a talent incubator?

The two women worked with future hip-hop megastars Kid ‘n Play who Salt warned Pepa at the onset of her first shift that Kid was a sweetheart, but Play was “a dog.” They also shared a workspace with aspiring comedian and actor Martin Lawrence. Their friendships fostered big dreams that manifested as each one helped the other with regards to their live gigs.

Sandy and Cheryl were shown making a promise to Martin Lawrence, saying at one point in the movie: “Whoever gets put on first will put the other on.”

True to their word, Salt-N-Pepa hired Lawrence to open for them at the Manhattan club, Inferno.

The trouble with Hurby

Hurby Azor (Cleveland Berto) had a huge part in the creation of their group, but as time progressed, his role was diminished as the two women found their own voice, wrote their own lyrics and took control of their creative direction.

It was portrayed in the move as a fractious split, though Hurby was shown to be a far more complex and business savvy character than just a greedy heel. He cooked up the idea to pair two women is a diss rap to counter Doug E. Fresh.

Unfortunately for his girlfriend Cheryl (Salt) he had an eye for other women and broke her heart, creating a rift between himself and Sandy (Pepa) who was on to his playboy ways.

As luck and planning collide, their single which was being sent round by Hurby to radio stations finally hit. The film shines when the two girls lose it as they are chatting and listening to the radio when their song comes on, in Pepa’s old broken down car. The moment is everything a great biopic needs, when your hard work is being recognized and the joy of that very first breakthrough.

Some rough patches here and there and stage imposters aside, these girls never looked back.

The Salt-N-Pepa legacy

If you were around in the late 1980’s and 1990’s, you likely know that the music of Salt-N-Pepa dominated the airwaves and videos as one of the first all-female rap groups.

Their catchy beats and on-point lyrics about sex and one-upping the men with a little backatcha objectifying was what the hip hop world needed, as the two spit the praises for the opposite sex in catchy hits like “Whatta Man” and “Let’s Talk About Sex.”

They busted down doors for other female rappers like Lil’ Kim, Queen Latifah, Missy Elliott and more. To this day, the world of hip-hop owes a debt to the Grammy Award-winning group for showing how hip hop was an original art form and stylistically lucrative genre of music, and uniquely American at that.

They were the first female rap act to go platinum and snagged multiple awards, as director Mario Peebles (he also has a cameo, cast as Cheryl’s charismatic preacher) makes sure the film has performances of Salt-N-Pepa’s greatest hits, including: “Let’s Talk About Sex”, “What a Man”, “Shoop” and “Push It”.

The film has a strong emotional punch and reinforces the value of female friendships through all the noise that life brings, from carefree days as single women, to becoming working mothers, and navigating bad marriages, and men with anger and fidelity issues.

It’s a perfect Saturday night film. Make sure you have a box of tissues handy for the final reunion award show scene.

Salt-N-Pepa Lifetime Original Movie premieres Saturday, January 23 at 8/7c – on Lifetime

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Where to Watch ‘Salt-N-Pepa’ Movie

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Ooh, baby, baby, Salt N Pepa’s here! This week, Lifetime continued its string of made-for-TV movies with Salt N Pepa , a biopic about the famed hip-hop group. The two-hour Salt N Pepa  movie tracks the group from their early days on the New York music scene to their meteoric rise, as well as their quest to become the first female rap group to achieve gold and platinum record status. “Push It,” indeed.

Fans of the iconic group will have plenty to enjoy in Lifetime’s  Salt N Pepa , but given the overcrowded nature of the streaming landscape, it’s possible this biopic may have slipped through the cracks of your queue. If you missed the  Salt N Pepa  movie the first time around, you’re in luck: here’s everything you need to know about Lifetime’s new biopic!

WHAT IS THE  SALT N PEPA MOVIE ABOUT?

According to Lifetime’s official description ,  Salt N Pepa  (stylized  Salt-N-Pepa ) “details the journey of Queensborough Community College students Cheryl ‘Salt’ James and Sandra ‘Pepa’ Denton as they enter the world of rap and hip hop.” The biopic tracks Salt and Pepa as they experience their first success and quickly rise in the ranks of the music world to become the first female rap act to go platinum, an experience that paves the way for a new generation of female rappers.

SALT N PEPA MOVIE: WHERE TO WATCH

Salt N Pepa  first premiered Saturday, January 23 on Lifetime, but if you missed it, the network has made it easy to catch it again. Lifetime is currently streaming  Salt N Pepa  online for free (yes, free!) with no cable log-in required, so fans can easily check out the film as many times as they’d like.

Cable customers can also catch Salt N Pepa as it re-airs on Lifetime throughout the week, including on Thursday, January 28 at 8/7c.

IS  SALT N PEPA  ON NETFLIX?

As of now,  Salt N Pepa  is not available to stream on Netflix. However, Lifetime titles do sometimes make their way to Netflix, so keep your eyes peeled!

SALT N PEPA  CAST: GG TOWNSON, LAILA ODOM, AND MORE

There’s no shortage of talent in the  Salt N Pepa  cast. The biopic 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, among others.

WHO PLAYS HERBIE FROM  SALT N PEPA ?

Technically, his name is “Hurbie,” but there’s a lot going on in  Salt N Pepa , so we’ll forgive it. Hurbie Azor, the music producer who launched Salt N Pepa’s career, is played by Cleveland Berto. Fans may recognize Berto from his appearances in popular projects like  Shameless ,  Lucifer , and Terminator: Dark Fate , in which he played T. Gill.

Where to stream  Salt N Pepa

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Salt-N-Pepa Reviews

• 3 hr 3 mins
• Drama, Music
• Watchlist Where to Watch

The story of Queensborough Community College students Cheryl "Salt" James and Sandra "Pepa" Denton as they fall into the world of rap and hip hop, after recording a song for their friend Hurby Azor. Salt-N-Pepa made a huge impact in hip hop by being one of the first all-female rap groups.

Salt-N-Pepa

2 HOURS 7 MINS

Hip-hop & rap.

The journey of Cheryl “Salt” James and Sandra “Pepa” Denton as they enter the world of rap.

Movie Trailer

Cast & Crew

G.G. Townson Cheryl "Salt" James

Laila Odom Sandra "Pepa" Denton

Cleveland Berto Hurby Azor/Steve Azor

Jermel Howard Treach

Monique Paul DJ Spinderella

Mandela Van Peebles Sweet Tooth

Dorrett White Strip Club Patron

Sierra Wignall Kim (Salt's Younger Sister)

Mario Van Peebles Director

Abdul Williams Writer

Shakim Compere Producer

Queen Latifah Producer

Steve Solomos Producer

Cheryl "Salt" James Executive Producer

Pepa Executive Producer

Anthony J. Rickert-Epstein Cinematography

Diane Brunjes Film Editing

Dan the Automator Original Music

David Hackl Production Design

Andrew Berry Art Director

Michelle Lyte Costume Design

John Buchan Casting

Jason Knight Casting

Where to Stream

Sorry, this movie is currently not available on any streaming platforms. Check back again soon!

Upcoming TV Airings

Sorry, this movie is not airing on television in the next two weeks. Check back again soon!

News about Salt-N-Pepa

‘Salt-N-Pepa’: Sandra ‘Pepa’ Denton on the ‘Surreal’ Lifetime Movie About Their Rise to Fame

Worth Watching: Revisit ‘Person of Interest,’ Salt-N-Pepa’s Spicy Biopic, a ‘Wild Year’ in Nature, NFL Championships

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How to watch Salt-N-Pepa movie online: stream the biopic from anywhere today

Lifetime movie charts Push It group's rise to hip-hop superstardom

Ooh, baby, baby! The latest music legends to get the Lifetime biopic treatment are a hip-hop duo that ruled the airwaves in the 80s and 90s - read on to find out how to watch Salt-N-Pepa - no matter where in the world you find yourself.

Following on from made-for-TV movie masterpieces centring around everyone from Michael Jackson to Whitney Houston, to Aaliyah and Toni Braxton, the channel is now tackling the story of the first female rap act to achieve certified-platinum status.

With a lengthy three-hour runtime, the movie highlights the dynamic duo's dramatic rise to fame. From teenage nursing students to international music icons in mere months off the back of recording a hit single in a New York City public bathroom, its a fascinating story that should suit the Lifetime format perfectly.

Release date: January 23 (US and Canada)

Air time: 8pm ET/PT (7pm CT)

Stream: Lifetime / fuboTV

Watch anywhere: Try our No.1 VPN 100% risk-free

GG Townson takes on the role of Salt with Laila Odom playing Pepa, while The Next Step's Monique Jasmine Paul is their trusty sidekick on the wheel of steel, DJ Spinderella. 

With director Mario Van Peebles at the helm - the man behind such retro cinema smashes as New Jack City and Posse - we're expecting the 90s era vibes to be very much in check.

Both Salt and Pepa are credited as producers alongside fellow female rap icon Queen Latifah, and with it being an authorised biopic, you can expect to hear all the girls era-defining party anthems like Push It, Let's Talk About Sex and Whatta Man.

Keep reading for full details of how to watch Salt-N-Pepa online today.

• Related: the best HBO shows to watch today

How to watch Salt-N-Pepa movie online in the US

This feature-length hip-hop movie is exclusive to celebrity biopic specialists Lifetime . Traditional cable viewers in the US ( and in Canada ) can catch it on the channel at 8pm PT/ET on Saturday from January 23.

If that time doesn't work for you, or you merely want to watch the show on a mobile device, it can be streamed through Lifetime’s VoD platform , though you’ll need to enter your cable login details first to get access.

If you’ve long since forgone cable for cheaper, OTT methods of entertainment, then our top two picks for services offering Lifetime that will let you stream the movie are: 

Sling TV:  This budget friendly platform includes Lifetime in both its Sling Blue and Sling Orange plans ($30 per month individually or $45 for both) with a free trial available.

Fubo: Fubo is a more complete cable replacement service and good value too at $64.99 a month for 108 channels (including VH1, the Comedy Channel, CNN, and lots of sports channels). Plus, you get two simultaneous streams, and 30 hours of Cloud DVR storage. New subscribers are entitled to a 7-day free fuboTV trial , and if you cancel before the trial ends you won’t be charged a thing.

How to watch Salt-N-Pepa from outside your country

If you're out of the US, you can still watch Salt-N-Pepa no matter where you’ve ended up. 

Generally, if you're traveling from the US, you'll want to be able to access the same streaming service you would at home. And as HBO Max is only available within the United States, you’ll need to download a VPN to do so.

Use a VPN to watch Salt-N-Pepa online from abroad

ExpressVPN is the world's top VPN right now We've taken the time to try out all the biggest VPN providers and we found ExpressVPN to be the best of the best. It works with lots of devices and offers super fast connections across its many servers. 

Throw in its robust set of security features and ExpressVPN is the best all-round VPN for streaming  - and perhaps best of all, it has a 30-day money back guarantee plus 3 months FREE when you subscribe for a year.

Access ExpressVPN via your laptop, iPhone, tablet, Android phone, PlayStation, Xbox and plenty more. Express is a do-it-all service that also benefits from 24/7 customer support.

- Try ExpressVPN 100% risk-free for 30 days

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Kevin Lynch is a London-born, Dublin-based writer and journalist. The author of Steve Jobs: A Biographic Portrait , Kevin is a regular feature writer for a number of tech sites and the former Technology Editor for the Daily Mirror. He has also served as editor of  GuinnessWorldRecords.com  and has been a member of the judging panel for the BAFTA British Academy Video Game Awards. Alongside reviewing the latest AV gear, smartphones and computers, Kevin also specialises in music tech and can often be found putting the latest DAWs, MIDI controllers and guitar modellers through their paces. Born within the sound of Bow Bells, Kevin is also a lifelong West Ham fan for his troubles.

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