Pepa (Sandra Denton) is one half of the iconic American hip hop duo Salt-N-Pepa, formed in 1985 in New York City. Alongside Salt (Cheryl James), Pepa made history as part of the first female rap group to achieve gold and platinum status with their debut album Hot, Cool & Vicious (1986), featuring the hit single “Push It.” The duo’s success continued with albums like A Salt with a Deadly Pepa (1988) and Blacks’ Magic (1990), which produced hits like “Expression” and “Let’s Talk About Sex.” In 1993, Salt-N-Pepa’s album Very Necessary sold over 7 million copies, making it the highest-selling rap album by a female act at the time, with hits like “Shoop” and “Whatta Man.” Pepa’s trailblazing contributions to hip hop helped Salt-N-Pepa win a Grammy Award in 1995, solidifying their legacy as “The First Ladies of Rap.”