Hip Hop

Fans Say Spinderella Lawsuit Against Salt-N-Pepa Was A Long Time Coming

Salt N Pepa

Spinderella gets support from fans over her lawsuit against Salt-N-Pepa.

Quite a large number of hip hop fans are in support of the recent lawsuit filed by DJ Spinderella against her former bandmates Sandra “Pepa” Denton and Cheryl “Salt” James of the group Salt-N-Pepa. Fans say the legal action taken by Spinderella, was a long time coming.

“That’s exactly what they get, trying to act like she wasn’t a real part of the group…she damn near made the group successful with her style of musicianship and DJ personality; they know they needed her,” said one fan, Chenita, who commented on the breaking story by Essence Magazine, surrounding the actions of Spinderella.

“It’s a shame; I don’t know SNP without Spin. They can’t deny what she was to them. It’s a shame that they tried to move forward that she was some type of piano player. Al these years. I hope she gets what she deserves,” said another reader, Candace.

The Grammy Award-winning female rap group has sold 15 million records worldwide, making them one of the best-selling female rap acts of all time. They are often referred to as “The First Ladies of Rap and Hip Hop.”

Spinderella, whose real name is Deidra Roper, filed the lawsuit in a federal court in Texas, against her two colleagues for breach of contract, two months after she said she was booted from the group’s reunion tour with New Kids on the Block and issued with a “received a termination email.”

The 47-year-old who joined the duo in 1987 at age 16, is also suing for unpaid royalties, multiple breaches of contract, fraud and intentional misrepresentation.

In the lawsuit, DJ Spinderella argues that she became synonymous with, and inseparable from, Salt-N-Pepa’s public identity as she helped boost the all-female SNP trio and brand to what she described as “legendary iconic status and worldwide fame.” She also makes allegations that she was axed from deals as years went by, despite generating “significant on-stage excitement” and entertaining “audiences with her captivating musical grooves and remarkable deejay tricks.”

She also says she was unaware of the group’s 1999 Best of Salt N Pepa album release in Europe which featured her image on the album cover allegedly without expressed consent from her.