The evolution of hip-hop has seen many acts, phases and styles, however, it would not be where it is today without the influence of women. Lately, however, there has been an influx of rap beef between female emcees. The conflicts have garnered mixed reactions from rap enthusiasts. Trailblazing rap duo, Salt-N-Pepa, believes it’s time for unity amongst female rappers.
“I hate that sometimes the women are beefing, I like the unity aspect of it,” Pepa shared with 21Ninety. “I like when we do get together and do some collaboration or just bigging each other’s work up.”
Although Salt shared that she believes rap beef is acceptable if it’s done artistically, she also echoed her rap sister’s sentiments.
“Hip-hop is about unity,” she added. “We used to share a bus with Heavy D and Kid ‘n Play. We were a family, and the beef was really just on the mic. In this new social media society, everybody being able to chime in and fuel the fire makes it negative.”
Salt-N-Pepa Trailblazing a Path
After almost 40 years in the game, Salt-N-Pepa continue to shape the narrative of women in hip-hop. When they first stepped on the scene, they couldn’t have imagined what their impact would’ve been.
“We were just around-the-way girls having fun, setting trends. Women would come up to us saying, ‘I got my hair cut like you, I used to dress like you, your music got me through college,'” Salt remarked reflecting on their journey. “It feels pretty amazing 30-something years later to still have that type of love and respect.”
Pepa echoed her sentiment, emphasizing the importance of perseverance in a male-dominated industry.
“We had to kick down a lot of doors since it was such a male-dominated field,” she shard. “We had to go through a lot just to be in this position. But we stayed focused, we stayed true to who we are and we didn’t let anything discourage us.”
The two have always shown love to other rap women in the game and emphasize their appreciation for unity amongst female rappers.
“We do appreciate women like Missy Elliot and Latifah and a lot of even the younger generations,” Pepa said. “We have teamed up and did stuff with Meg and others have remixed our songs. It’s a great feeling to know that we pioneered this and birthed this little hip-hop thing for females.”
New Music with a Tasty Twist
As Salt-N-Pepa both called for unity amongst female rappers, they showcased their own unity by jumping in the booth once again to deliver a new track for their latest partnership with Grandma’s Cookies.
“Well, it was pretty easy,” Salt explained. “Pepa is a grandma. I’m trying to be a grandma. So to just be able to celebrate Grandma and make her cool was kind of easy.”
Pepa, who herself is a grandmother, chimed in, “The timing was really great because of the message that the campaign is producing. They’re making Grandma bright, bold, and fun.”
As they continue to champion unity and creativity, their partnership with Grandma’s Cookies is exemplifies their ability to blend nostalgia with innovation, ensuring that their impact on the culture endures for years to come.