Salt-N-Pepa tells everything in Lifetime biopic

Sex, herbs and the bitter reality of fame? Ooh, baby, baby.

Cheryl “Salt” James and Sandra “Pepa” Denton unpack their truths in the new biopic “Salt-N-Pepa,” airing this Saturday on Lifetime. The three-hour film follows the pair – played by GG Townson as Salt and Laila Odom as Pepa – as they record a hit single in a public bathroom in New York City, ultimately becoming the first female rap act to achieve platinum status.

“Nothing was off limits,” Pepa, 54, told The Post about recreating the duo’s story. “It was important for us to be vulnerable and honest in the making of this movie,” added Salt, 53,.

But for the Let’s Talk About Sex celebrities, who share the executive producer film credits with fellow female rap pioneer Queen Latifah, diving back into their past took an emotional toll.

Pepa struggled to properly portray her allegedly abusive relationship with ex-husband Anthony “Treach” Criss of hip-hop collective Naughty by Nature. Treach denies the abuse.

“In the movie, I didn’t want to just focus on the negative things between us,” Pep said of her turbulent past with the “OPP” player. ‘I wanted to be honest [Treach] and show that he was a good guy despite the bad. “

Salt revealed her struggles with bulimia at the height of the Grammy Award-winning group’s success. Her eating disorder contributed to Salt-N-Pepa’s temporary dissolution in the early 2000s.

“I developed bulimia from the pressure of performing and living my life in the open,” Salt told The Post, noting that this was the hardest trauma to relive for the film.

In the mid-1980s, best friends went from average teenagers working part-time as Sears telephone attorneys to international music icons in a matter of months.

Shortly after a kismet gathering in the lunchroom of Queensborough Community College, then-college students James, a shy introvert, and Denton, a sociable socializer, shot up to fame as Salt-N-Pepa in 1986.

Taking to the heart of the streets with hip-hop classics’ The Showstopper ‘,’ My Mic Sound Nice ‘and’ I’ll Take Your Man ‘, the pioneer couple were anxious about releasing what would become their best-selling hit,’ Push It . “

“When we first recorded ‘Push It’ in a Brooklyn bathroom,” Pepa told The Post, “we were so afraid the streets would hate us for making a pop song.”

Little did they know that their inclusion in the toilet would serve as the catalyst for their string of sultry, female empowerment toppers, including ‘Shoop’, ‘Whatta Man’ and ‘Ain’t Nuthin’ But a She Thing. ‘

“We were never afraid to talk about sex,” Salt said. “Talking about sexuality and being a strong voice for young women just came naturally.”

Pioneers of the lady rap community – influencing contemporary hip-hop heroines Nicki Minaj, Cardi B, Megan Thee Stallion and City Girls – Salt-N-Pepa’s story is one of strength and persistence.

“People will see the struggles we’ve endured as female rappers in a male-dominated industry,” Pep said of the biopic.

“We had to fight to make our voices heard,” she added.

After the film’s premiere, Salt-N-Pepa is poised to receive a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Grammys in March and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in the spring.

The dynamic duo also launched a makeup line of Milani cosmetics, as well as a herbal supplement brand. And although they haven’t made any concrete plans to return to the studio yet, the “I Am Down” rappers are open to releasing new music.

“With this movie, and in everything we do, we want people to be inspired,” the couple agreed, emphasizing their motto: “Whatever happens, just keep pushing.”