'Salt-N-Pepa': Release date, trailer, cast and all you need to know about Lifetime's biopic mini-series on the Grammy-winning rappers
Ever wondered about the first women in hip-hop? The '80s-'90s was a special era in music that presented a lot of pioneering artistes and was a time when the rap game became more commercially viable. When the artistes began garnering notable accolades, the world noticed, and that's just one of the reasons why Salt-N-Pepa skyrocketed to fame.
It's time to forget about the auto-tuned and lip-syncing artistes of today, as the Lifetime network is going raw with a look at the careers of the legendary all-female rap icons through the upcoming biopic mini-series, 'Salt-n-Pepa'.
Release date
According to Variety, the biopic is scheduled for a premiere on January 23, 2021, at 8 pm EST which will be followed by a special (hosted by comedian Loni Love) that will feature both Cheryl “Salt” James and Sandra “Pepa” Denton.
Concept
Apart from treating fans to Salt-N-Pepa's greatest hits such as 'Let's Talk About Sex', 'What a Man', 'Shoop' and 'Push It', the limited series will follow the Grammy-winning rappers as they step into the arena of hip-hop, their challenges in discovering themselves and more.
"Salt-N-Pepa details the journey of Queensborough Community College students Cheryl 'Salt' James and Sandra 'Pepa' Denton as they enter the world of rap and hip hop, after recording a song for their friend Hurby Azor," reads the synopsis on Lifetime's official website. "Salt-N-Pepa made a huge impact as one of the first all-female rap groups, changing the look of hip hop and being unafraid to talk about sex and share their thoughts on men."
The project also delves into the personal, uncovering the women behind the music and how their artistry tested the bonds of their relationship. Additionally, the synopsis notes that it "follows the group as they become the first female rap act to go platinum and experience ground-breaking success with multiple awards, including a Grammy award – paving the way for all female rappers to follow."
While receiving co-production from rapper-singer and actress Queen Latifah, the biopic will be helmed by director Mario Van Peebles. With an equally impressive resume as an actor, Peebles has directed award-winning series such as 'Empire' and 'The Last Ship', among many other shows.
His directorial skills can be seen in the retelling of the epic mini-series 'Roots' starring Forest Whitaker and Matthew Goode. Van Pebbles has directed award-winning shows such as the recent hit 'Empire' and 'The Last Ship' as well as 'Sons of Anarchy', 'Lost', 'Damages' and 'Boss'.
Where to watch
US audiences can watch 'Salt-n-Pepa' on television on the Lifetime cable network. You can also stream through Lifetime's official website here.
Cast
The mini-series stars G G Townson as Salt, Laila Odom as Pepa, Cleveland Berto as music producer Hurby Azor, Jermel Howard as rapper Treach and Monique Paul as DJ Spinderella.
GG Townson
GG Townson, 30, is best known for her recurring lead role in Bounce TV's 'In The Cut'. GG has showcased a wide range of versatility as a guest star, co-star and lead roles on networks like Disney Channel, Nickelodeon and CBS.
Laila Odom
Laila Odom is a 34-year-old film and television actress with silver screen credits in 2011's 'He's Mine Not Yours', 2012's 'Into the Woods', 2014's 'Phantom Halo', 2017's 'The Preacher's Son' and 2017's 'Busted'. She is also known for her role as Teri DeBarge in the TV film 'The Bobby DeBarge Story' (2019) and the series 'Game Shakers' (2015).
Trailer
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