DJ Spinderella

Deidra Muriel Roper (born August 3, 1970), known professionally as DJ Spinderella or simply Spinderella, is an American DJ, rapper and producer. She is best known as a member of the hip-hop group Salt-N-Pepa. Roper occasionally appeared in The Salt-n-Pepa Show, a reality TV series focusing on reforming the group and which aired on the VH1 network in 2008. Deidra Muriel Roper was born August 3, 1970,[a] and raised in Brooklyn, New York City, as one of five children. Her early influence in music began as a child, fascinated by her father's record collection growing up. Roper began her career as a DJ at age 14. During her sophomore year in high school, she began dating a local DJ who she learned DJ techniques from. Shortly thereafter, she began marketing herself as a DJ in the area around Brooklyn. At age 16, Roper was approached in school by a classmate who asked her would she be interested in joining an all-female rap group. The classmate knew Hurby "LuvBug" Azor, the producer of the group, and arranged for Roper to audition for him. Roper was introduced to Salt-N-Pepa producer Hurby Azor just before the group was due to appear at the Westchester Music Festival in 1986. The group's original DJ, Latoya Hanson, had missed several rehearsals and group appearances, and the group was looking for a replacement. Future radio and TV personality Wendy Williams had also auditioned as the DJ. Roper was selected as the group's DJ by Azor (taking the name Spinderella) around the time the group's first album was being released. Since she was 16 at the time of joining, her parents had to give permission for her to travel around the country. The trio became one of the most successful female hip-hop acts of all time. They released five studio albums and saw several platinum and gold singles. Spinderella has produced several songs on the group's albums as well. In 1993, she was featured as a rapper on Big Daddy Kane's album Looks Like a Job For... on the second single, "Very Special", which would go on to become Big Daddy Kane's only top 40 hit. Salt-N-Pepa disbanded in 2002, then reformed in 2007 – eventually firing Spinderella in 2019.