Salt-N-Pepa talk about the things men need to be taught

Jet, Dec 1, 1997

Salt-N-Pepa, that sensuous, hip hop/rap trio, has had strong sex appeal to men since the group was conceived 11 years ago. Now, the ladies have a few messages for male fans to teach them things they need to know about how to treat their special women.

"We've always talked about men in our albums and shows," Dee Dee "Spinderella" Roper said in an interview the trio recently gave JET. "We've got issues about relationships. Sometimes men need a little help in knowing what a woman likes."

Sandi "Pepa" Denton agreed. "We want to please the man, but you have to make me want to please you. You have to take care of me and inspire me to please you."

Cheryl "Salt" James pointed out that men should always treat their special ladies like they're queens. "We tell women that if he's not treating you like a queen, then he's not your king. Point blank."

Denton said that when men don't do all those necessary special things, women should know they can walk. And the trio wants to put men on notice that, through its music, the group is urging females to walk away if their needs aren't being met. The single Do Me Right says: "I want the baby carriage and the marriage and the whole thing, diamond ring, treat you like a king."

But, guys can't just sit back and be worshipped without giving as much as they get, the trio pointed out.

Far from being male-bashers, the trio said that a number of its songs have saluted men. The group just wants men to be mature, generous and romantically responsive to women.

Men, James said, have often mis-interpreted the playful, sometimes naughty nature of some of the lyrics in the trio's songs and figure everything is sexual. A lot of guys have always assumed that Push It, the group's megahit from 1986, was about sex. But, she contends the song was about dancing, even though she is sure most men won't believe it.

"Our songs weren't intended to be about sex, but that's the way they have been interpreted," Denton said. "And I think it's mostly men who interpreted them that way because that's what they want."

Some of the serious messages for men come as a result of domestic violence. On its new album, Brand New, the trio has a cut entitled The Clock Is Tickin' (inspired by the O.J. Simpson trial) that tackles the subject of abuse.

A primary lesson that the members want to teach male fans is that verbal and physical violence should both be avoided at all costs. "Personally, abuse comes in a lot of different ways," James said. "You can be in a relationship where a person ignores you. Or you can get hit physically. So, from experiences that I've seen in my friends and what I've gone through, you can get out (of a bad relationship). A lot of women feel they can't get out. The record is saying, `Where there's a will, there's a way. Life is short and time is running out. So, don't waste a lot of years. If he's not treating you like a queen, he definitely is not your king.'"

Brand New tackles male and female relationships, sex, racism and spirituality. It's called Brand New because, although it's the trio's fifth album, this marks the first time that Salt-N-Pepa's members have written and produced virtually the entire project. Previous projects had been written or co-written by the group's founder, Hurby "Luv Bug" Azor.

The album has an all-star roster. Kirk Franklin and the Sounds of Blackness are featured on Hold On; Queen Latifah appeared on and helped to write, Friend; and Sheryl Crow sang on. Imagine, a song about the evils of racism.

The group's previous four albums all went platinum (more than a million in sales). And the ladies are hoping that this one will soar even higher. "We hope this album will sell 15 million copies. That is our goal," James said.

Roper attributes the group's popularity to the messages it puts out. "We have a large following because we deal with real issues," she said. "Whether it's spirituality or dealing with men, we, have been in relationships where we have dealt with it like anybody else. We talk about it on the album, and people respect that."

All three women hail from the York area. James and Denton met as freshmen at Queensborough Community College. They worked at a local Sears where they met Azor. Soon, they began rapping and singing together. In 1986, they added a deejay, Pamela Greene. Greene soon married and was replaced by Dee Dee Roper, who was still in high school in Brooklyn when she and the others convinced her reluctant family to let her join the group.

All three women, who are in the* 30s, are single mothers and quickly pointed out that parenthood makes recording and touring very, very difficult. "It's not easy," Roper said. "We're taking the kids on the road with us next year. We have a big tour coming up." They are fortunate enough to have nannies to help with their children. Each member has one child. Roper has 5-year-old daughter, James has a daughter, 6, and Denton's son is 7. "Since mine is the youngest, I get advice from them," Roper said.

The trio acknowledges that some out there are surprised that the group has been able to flourish for so long.