Before the current generation of streetwise female icons – Lauryn Hill, Destiny’s Child, Eve – there was Salt-N-Pepa. The outfit dominated the charts for two decades with the hits ‘Push It’, ‘Shake Your Thang’, ‘Let’s Talk About Sex’, ‘Shoop’ and ‘Whatta Man’ – tracks that remain in the hip-hop canon. An integral part of Salt-N-Pepa’s success was the group’s DJ, Spinderella. As one of few female DJs in hip-hop, Spinderella – aka Deidre “Dee Dee” Roper – projected glamour, strength and credibility.

In 2002 Salt-N-Pepa (Cheryl “Salt” James and Sandy “Pepa” Denton) are taking time out. “We have been on a long hiatus, and I donno what’s gonna happen with that, but we’re still cool,” Spinderella says of the group. “Everybody’s just gone in their own direction – we’ve been together for so long.”

At any rate, Spinderella is as busy as ever with her DJ career – which is becoming increasingly multi-faceted. Spinderella’s main new project is a DVD magazine called Urban Rom, which will be launched in February. Indeed, Spinderella was working on a radio show, The Spin Cycle, when she was approached about the enterprise. The DJ was open to the project as it allowed her to showcase all her talents. “I do acting, I host my own show, and stuff like that – so it’s pretty nice,” she says. “It’s like a video show, I do skits, it’s a lot of fun – like a variety show – and I produce it myself.”

There has long been speculation about a Spinderella solo album. “I don’t know if I wanna just do the rap thing, I’m more into DJing – that’s what I love to do – so it’s like my love,” she says. “DJing is my first priority.” Currently Spinderella is producing a mix-tape project, The Spin Cycle, Volume 1, although she doesn’t have the same passion for studio work that she has for the decks.

Hip-hop’s DJ culture has always been male-dominated, yet Spinderella has provided aspiring b-girls with a role model. Spinderella admits that being a female DJ has at times been tough-going. “It used to be tough, it is not as much anymore. I still get the little snickers from people. They don’t really believe that I can DJ and everything. But it’s all good, ‘cause, I just actually did a party last night in San Francisco and it was so much fun because I was rockin’ it. Once they get over the whole thing of ‘It’s Spinderella, oh, my God, does she really do it?,’ you know, they enjoy it. They look at it like, ‘Oh, it’s a girl DJ,’ but then when you start rockin’ a party and everybody’s on the dancefloor, that’s the ultimate high!”

Looking back, Spinderella is humbled by her own history – Salt-N-Pepa were among the first hip-hop acts to crossover to an international pop audience. “That’s the beautiful part, too, ‘cause I’m a part of that history of hip-hop – and that’s just so amazing to me,” she says. “I kinda look back at that like, ‘Wow’ – you know, being on the outside looking back. It’s just amazing to see the way that we paved for females in hip-hop, and hip-hop, period. We get a lot of respect and it’s always good to get that respect. You’ve just gotta have a level-head in the industry, period. So I learnt from a lot of my mistakes, I learned from, coming through, some of the things we came through, ‘cause it was a learning process. We were pretty young at it. But to be in it right now, and to do what I do for myself, is the most amazing feeling.”

Ask Spinderella about her highlights over those last two decades of Salt-N-Pepa and she casts her mind back to their days of touring. “The highlights?, she asks rhetorically. “Just like the love from the people, the accolades, the rewards – there was a lot of hard work that we put into it, but we were pretty dedicated. It wasn’t easy dealing with three women on the road and make-up and the glamour. It was just a lot of work. When I look back I’m like, ‘Oh, my God, how can I still be doing this?’ But I enjoy this so much. I guess the biggest part was the performing before the audiences and seeing the reactions – that was the biggest reward.”

These days, like Salt and Pepa, Spinderella herself is a mom – something which she strives to balance with her career. “I just manoeuvre!,” she says with a laugh. “I just manoeuvre myself. I do what I have to do and I enjoy it. My daughter has been by my side the whole time, so she’s really into what I do and she’s very supportive. She misses me a lot, but it’s all good.” Already her daughter is taking to the decks. Can she DJ yet? “She tries,” Spinderella says patiently, “but she’s learning – let’s just say she learns. She watches me, she wants to get on, and then, ‘Mommy, listen to me, watch this’ and so I let her. She’s nine now. She’s got a lot of time. She’s gonna be good, though!”

Now Spinderella is making her second visit to Australia for DJ gigs in Melbourne and Sydney (Salt-N-Pepa last toured on the back of 1993’s Very Necessary). “My love of course is hip-hop and ol’ skool. I like ol’ skool. I do a little reggae. I’m just a party rocker, I love to rock the parties with the hottest classics and remixes and stuff like that. I’m into blends and cutting and everything, so it’s a lot of fun.”

Spinderella plays Club Odeon in Melbourne tonight – Thursday 3 January.