DJ Spinderella
| DJ Spinderella | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Deidra Muriel Roper |
| Also known as | Dee Dee Roper, DJ Spin, Spin |
| Born |
August 3, 1971 Brooklyn, New York, U.S. |
| Origin | New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Genres | Hip-Hop, Dance, Rap |
| Occupation(s) | DJ, Producer, Rapper, Actress |
| Instruments | Vocals, Turntables |
| Years active | 1986–present |
| Labels | Next Plateau, Red Ant, PolyGram |
| Associated acts | Salt-n-Pepa, Roxanne Shante, MC Lyte, Run–D.M.C., Kid N Play |
Deidra Muriel Roper (born August 3, 1971), known as DJ Spinderella, is an American DJ and rapper who is a member of the hip-hop group Salt-n-Pepa. Her name is a reference to the fairy tale character Cinderella.
Career
Roper was introduced to Salt-n-Pepa producer Herbie "LuvBug" Azor just before the group were due to appear at the Westchester Music Festival in 1986. Salt-n-Pepa's original DJ, Latoya Hanson, had missed several rehearsals and group appearances, and the group was actively looking for a replacement.[1] Before auditioning Roper, Salt-n-Pepa had offered the spot to then-unknown radio and TV personality Wendy Williams.[2] Roper was selected as the group's DJ, taking the name Spinderella, around the time the group's first album was being released. Since she was sixteen at the time of joining, Ropers' parents had to give permission for Roper to travel around the country. The trio would go on to become 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 also produced several songs on the group's albums. The group disbanded in 2002, before reforming in 2007.
From 2003 to 2006, Spinderella worked as a radio personality on the now-defunct KKBT 100.3 in Los Angeles, California, cohosting "The BackSpin", a nationally syndicated weekly radio show featuring old school hip-hop. She also appeared on several episodes of the VH1 reality series The Salt N Pepa Show. From September 2010 to March 2011, Roper did middays at KSOC-94.5 "K-Soul" in Dallas, Texas. Spinderella is part of the American Diabetes Association Celebrity Cabinet, a TV ONE UnSung Ambassador, supporter of Saving Our Daughters Mentoring Program, and founder of the Spinderella DJ Academy.
She appeared briefly on VH1's first annual Hip Hop Honors in November 2004, with her group members, but they did not perform. All three members did perform on the second Hip Hop Honors on September 22, 2005. This was their first performance as Salt-N-Pepa since 1999. In 2007, she acted as DJ for The Comedy Central Roast of Flavor Flav. On October 23, 2008, the group performed their hit singles "Shoop", "Push It", and "Whatta Man" at the 2008 BET Hip Hop Awards.
Personal life
In 1992, Spinderella appeared in the film Stay Tuned. That same year, she also had her first and only child, a daughter named Christy, with NBA basketball player Kenny Anderson.[3] In 1996, she appeared in the film Kazaam which starred Shaquille O'Neal. She opened her own beauty salon on October 21, 1997, the same year that the group released their final album Brand New. After this album, she was to have released a solo album but this never materialized as Salt-N-Pepa's record label, Red Ant, ceased operations. Her daughter Christy later appeared in an episode of My Super Sweet 16, throwing herself a party which included skaters and dancers.
References
- ↑ Source Magazine. The Tables Turn, written by Khary Kimani Turner. December 2007, Page 28
- ↑ "Wendy Spinderella?". The Wendy Williams Show. 2012-01-06. Retrieved 2014-08-13.
- ↑ Staff. "SHAKER HEIGHTS: THEY'RE RAP'S TOP WOMEN, BUT ARE SALT 'N' PEPA TOO SEXY FOR THEIR OWN GOOD?", Entertainment Weekly, March 18, 1994. Accessed June 6, 2009. "The group's self-described little sister, Roper lives in Teaneck, N.J., with Christenese, 1, the child she had with ex-boyfriend Kenny Anderson of the New Jersey Nets."
External links
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