Salt (rapper)

{{short description|American rapper (born 1966)}} {{Use American English|date=December 2022}} {{Use mdy dates|date=December 2022}} {{Infobox person | name = Salt | image = Cheryl James (salt).jpg | caption = Salt performing with Salt-N-Pepa in 2013 | other_names = {{hlist|Salt|Cheryl Wray}} | birth_name = Cheryl Renee James<ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ioKfAAAAMAAJ&q=sandra+jacqueline+denton |title=Encyclopedia of Rap and Hip-hop Culture |last=Bynoe|first=Yvonne|date=2006 |publisher=Greenwood Press |isbn=978-0-313-33058-2 |access-date=October 16, 2017 }}</ref><ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LldOLnIQ66cC&q=Cheryl+Renee+James&pg=PA197 |title=Icons of Hip Hop: 1 |last=Hess |first=Mikey |date=2007 |publisher= Greenwood Icons|isbn=978-0-313-33902-8 |access-date=October 16, 2017 }}</ref> | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1966|3|28}} | birth_place = Brooklyn, New York City, U.S. | death_date = | death_place = | occupation = Rapper | children = 2 | spouse = {{marriage|Gavin Wray|2000|2018|reason=div.}} | partner = Hurby Azor<ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xVkRDgAAQBAJ&q=salt+and+hurby&pg=PT64 |title=Chuck D Presents This Day in Rap and Hip-Hop History |last=D. |first=Chuck |date=2017 |publisher=Hachette Books |isbn=978-0-316-43098-2 |access-date= October 16, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xzMkq0E5EusC&q=salt+and+hurby&pg=PA180 |title= Ebony Magazine |date= February 1998|website= Google Books |publisher= Johnson Publishing |access-date=October 16, 2017 }}</ref> (1984–1989) | education = Queensborough Community College | height = | module = {{Infobox musical artist |embed=yes |instrument = Vocals |origin = Queens, New York City, U.S. |genre = {{Flat list| *Hip-hop *rap *dance *pop }} |years_active = 1985–present |label = {{hlist|Next Plateau|London|PolyGram|Red Ant}} |current_member_of = Salt-N-Pepa |website = }} }}

'''Cheryl Renee James''' (born March 28, 1966),<ref>{{cite web|url=https://apnews.com/article/celebrity-birthdays-march-26-april-1-d72607951b6a90f3cabeb68f4b75727d|title=Celebrity birthdays for the week of March 26-April 1|work=The Associated Press|access-date=January 6, 2024|date=March 20, 2023|quote=Rapper Salt of Salt-N-Pepa is 57}}</ref> also known as '''Salt''', is an American rapper. She is a member of the female rap trio Salt-N-Pepa, which also includes Pepa (Sandra Denton) and Spinderella (Deidra "Dee Dee" Roper). James starred in ''The Salt-N-Pepa Show'', a reality TV series focusing on reforming the group; which aired on the VH1 network in 2008.

== Early life == The daughter of a transit worker and Barbara James,<ref>[https://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/salt-n-pepa-do-it-their-way-19971016 Rolling Stone – Salt N' Pepa Do It Their Way – October 16, 1997]</ref> a bank manager,<ref>[http://www.encyclopedia.com/people/literature-and-arts/music-popular-and-jazz-biographies/salt-n-pepa Encyclopedia – Salt N' Pepa]</ref> James was born in Brooklyn, New York City. The middle of three children, James grew up in the Bushwick section of Brooklyn.<ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_9fp5LFoA78C&q=Cheryl+James+grover+cleveland+high+school |title= Biography Today |author= |date=1996 |publisher=Omnigraphics |isbn= 978-0-7808-0063-2 |access-date=November 30, 2017 }}</ref> James attended Grover Cleveland High School, graduating in 1983.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xbcBAAAAMBAJ&q=Cheryl+James+salt+high+school&pg=PA32 |title= Straight Outta Queens |author= |date=1994 |website=Google Books |publisher=New York Magazine |access-date=November 30, 2017 }}</ref> After high school, James enrolled at Queensborough Community College to study nursing. James met Queens-native Sandra Denton in 1985 while attending college.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Dixon |first=Euell A. |date=2021-07-11 |title=Salt-N-Pepa (1985- ) |url=https://www.blackpast.org/african-american-history/salt-n-pepa-1985/ |access-date=2025-05-30 |website=BlackPast.org |language=en-US}}</ref>

== Career == After forming a friendship with Denton, James' then-boyfriend and co-worker Hurby Azor approached the pair and asked them to record a rap for a class project. With Azor as their manager, James and Denton then formed the group<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=wNfx07-AJwcC&dq=Cheryl+James+Hurby+Azor&pg=PA233 Rhythm and Blues, Rap, and Hip-hop – Frank W. Hoffmann]</ref> "Super Nature" (which was eventually changed to "Salt N' Pepa") and were joined by Latoya Hanson, who was replaced by Deidra Roper in 1987. They released five studio albums: ''Hot, Cool & Vicious'' (1986), ''A Salt with a Deadly Pepa'' (1988), ''Blacks' Magic'' (1990), ''Very Necessary'' (1993), and ''Brand New'' (1997). Salt also co-starred in the 1993 motion picture ''Who's the Man?''. In 1997, she recorded the song "Stomp" with gospel artists Kirk Franklin and God's Property for their album ''God's Property'', one of the bestselling albums in gospel music history. They were the first female rap act to have gold, platinum, and multi-platinum albums, and the first female rap act to win a Grammy. The group disbanded in 2002 but reformed in 2008.

James appeared on VH1's inaugural ''Hip Hop Honors'' program in November 2004, along with Pepa, but they did not perform. Salt, Pepa, and Spinderella, however, did perform on the second Hip Hop Honors on September 22, 2005, performing their hit "Whatta Man". This was the trio's first performance as Salt-N-Pepa since 1999. On October 23, 2008, Salt-N-Pepa performed "Shoop", "Push It", and "Whatta Man" at the 2008 BET Hip Hop Awards. In 2009, James was featured in the Generation Gospel Exclusive on 106 & Gospel.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bet.com/OnTV/BETShows/106generationgospel/default.htm?Referrer={626141EB-9CF7-463E-92C7-6F31C8698895}|title=Salt in a different Season|access-date=August 16, 2009}}</ref>

in 2025, James was inducted into Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Salt-N-Pepa.<ref>https://rockhall.com/inductees/salt-n-pepa/</ref>

== Personal life == James dated Salt-N-Pepa group manager Hurby Azor during the early phase of the group from 1984 until 1989. James married her husband Gavin Wray on Christmas Eve 2000, although they dated for ten years before the marriage. James and Wray have two children.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xbcBAAAAMBAJ&q=Corin+wray&pg=PA39 |title= Straight Outta Queens |author= |date=1994 |website=Google Books |publisher= New York Magazine |access-date=November 30, 2017 }}</ref>

James and her daughter are referenced in Tupac's song "Keep Ya Head Up". In an interview James stated she considers herself a feminist "in a way", emphasizing the need for women to avoid complete emotional and financial dependence on men. Songs like "Tramp" and "Shake Your Thang" by Salt-N-Pepa express such feminist themes as female autonomy.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Rose|first1=Tricia|title=Never Trust A Big Butt and a Smile|journal=Camera Obscura|date=May 1990|volume=8|issue=2|pages=108–131|doi=10.1215/02705346-8-2_23-108|url=http://cameraobscura.dukejournals.org/content/8/2_23/108.full.pdf|access-date=February 12, 2015}}</ref> She was baptized into the Seventh-day Adventist Church on a mission trip in Ethiopia with Oakwood College.<ref>{{cite news|title= Let's Talk About God, Baby|url=https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2008/marchweb-only/110-24.0.html|publisher=Christianity Today|first=Rebecca|last=Cusey|newspaper=Christianitytoday.com |date=March 4, 2008|access-date=April 25, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pHWP3GjZMqU |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211221/pHWP3GjZMqU |archive-date=December 21, 2021 |url-status=live|title=Ethiopia Mission 2001|website=YouTube|date=August 24, 2015 |access-date=May 8, 2019}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

== Discography == {{Portal|Biography|United States|Music}} {{Main|Salt-N-Pepa discography}}

;Studio albums * ''Hot, Cool & Vicious'' (1986) * ''A Salt with a Deadly Pepa'' (1988) * ''Blacks' Magic'' (1990) * ''Very Necessary'' (1993) * ''Brand New'' (1997)

== References == {{Reflist}}

== External links == *[http://www.saltnpepa.com/ Salt-N-Pepa official website] *{{IMDb name|id=0416355|name=Cheryl James}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Salt}} Category:1966 births Category:Living people Category:Rappers from Brooklyn Category:21st-century American women rappers Category:20th-century American women rappers Category:20th-century American rappers Category:African-American women rappers Category:African-American rappers Category:American women singers Category:Participants in American reality television series Category:American Seventh-day Adventists Category:Converts to Adventism Category:East Coast hip-hop musicians Category:21st-century American rappers Category:People from Bushwick, Brooklyn Category:Feminist rappers