Salt-N-Pepa have been tearing the house down since their debut in 1985. The rap trio was known for not only being fun, sexy, and bold, but also for their positive messaging, like their smash hit “Let’s Talk About Sex.”
Due to their monstrous success and impact on the culture, the duo continues to reap the benefits of their hard work, as their induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame with a Musical Influence Award was announced in April 2025.
Although they have received their flowers and had major accomplishments, the Grammy Award winners also struggled in a legal battle with Universal after they sued the company for the rights to the master recordings of their early records.
“Like many artists, they’re challenging a system that profits from their work while denying them control,” one of their legal reps said in a statement. “This fight is about more than contracts — it’s about legacy, justice and the future of artist ownership.”
In a conversation with REVOLT on the red carpet at the 2025 BET Awards, Pepa, who appeared with her daughter Egypt Criss, offered advice to other talent in order to avoid dealing with the same pitfalls they did.
“As much as an artist would like to just create, they have to stay on top of [their] business,” she expressed. “Sorry, but you have to become your lawyer and your accountant. You have to make sure you’re crossing your T’s and dotting your I’s. That is so important. I know we leave it up to people, but we need to double-check the things you left in other people’s hands to make sure things are going right for yourself. Pay your taxes and all that.”
On a positive tip, Pepa shared her excitement about her Hall of Fame induction as well as the impact and legacy she and Salt have left in music, reflecting on those accomplishments with REVOLT.
“It feels good to still be here,” she said. “To be at the BET Awards discussing my induction, it feels good. To have received this accomplishment is like the icing on the cake. We had a lot of awards, the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and being honored by BET as well. You have to be in the game for over 25 years to receive an induction like this.”
Aside from being an amazing artist, Pepa has also poured all of her love and effort into raising her children. Criss shared, “Pepa, the mother, has a heart of gold and she’s determined to make sure anyone around her is okay,” she began. “If she’s around, nobody will have to struggle because she’s going to figure it out. I love how sweet she is and how much she cares.”