Deidra Roper, known professionally as Spinderella, became the first female DJ inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame on Saturday night as part of the pioneering hip-hop group Salt-N-Pepa.
The ceremony took place at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, where the trio received their honor following an introduction by Missy Elliott, who in 2023 became the first female rapper to be inducted.
Spinderella’s three-decade tenure with Salt-N-Pepa helped establish the DJ as an essential creative force in hip-hop, moving beyond mere technical support to become an integral part of the group’s identity and sound. Her visible presence on stage and in music videos during the late ’80s and ’90s inspired a generation of women to pursue careers in DJing and production, fields that had been almost exclusively male domains.
In an era when female representation in hip-hop production remained virtually nonexistent, Spinderella proved indispensable to one of the genre’s most commercially successful acts. Beyond her technical contributions, her career illustrates the often-overlooked labor of musicians who anchor successful groups without commanding the spotlight.
Salt-N-Pepa celebrated the honor with a performance of signature tracks, including 1987’s ageless hit “Push It.” During her acceptance speech, Roper dedicated the honor to aspiring female DJs.
“When I started it was a rare thing to see a woman behind turntables,” she said. “It was literally the boys club. So, I just I had to carve my own lane. I had to show up. It was dedication. It was my craft. And I never missed a beat in 40 years, y’all.”
“So, tonight, being the first female DJ inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, it’s beyond amazing, y’all. So surreal. I carry every female DJ who ever dared to dream. Every woman who touched the turntable and said, ‘I can do that, too.’ This is for you. This is ours. Respect the DJ.”
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Spinderella’s induction arrives in the wake of an explosive legal battle with her Salt-N-Pepa bandmates, against whom she filed a federal lawsuit back in 2019. She claimed at the time that Cheryl James and Sandra Denton owed over $600,000 in unpaid royalties dating back to their 1999 Best Of album and alleged fraud, breach of contract and trademark infringement for the continued use of her name in promotional materials after she was fired from the group in early-2019.
The lawsuit came to light after Roper announced that she had been excluded from the “New Kids On The Block Mixtape Tour” despite being advertised as part of the lineup. A federal judge rejected her request for immediate relief and ordered the parties to mediation in the fall of 2019. The lawsuit was ultimately settled in September 2020 with all trial dates canceled, though the terms of the settlement were not publicly disclosed.
Previous DJs to enter the Rock Hall include DJ Kool Herc in 2003 and Grandmaster Flash in 2007, both male pioneers of hip-hop culture. Other inductees from this year include Bad Company, Chubby Checker, Joe Cocker, Cyndi Lauper, OutKast, Soundgarden and The White Stripes.
