138. Salt 'n' Pepa

In the late 80's, Salt 'n' Pepa was on the cutting edge of a cultural and feminist revolution. They were among the first female rappers to have hits in hip-hop and on the pop charts. With their big hair, polka-dot clothes and pop-tinged raps, Cheryl "Salt" James, Sandy "Pepa" Denton and De De "Spinderalla" Roper brought a new look, sound and aesthetic to the mainstream. However, as they revolutionized the lives of teenagers across the country with sexy ("Push It") and empowering ("Independent") tunes, they were ultimately a band in search of themselves, in search of the strong and independent women they portrayed in their music.