Which female rap trio released the 1986 hit “Push It”?

Salt-N-Pepa released the 1986 hit “Push It.”

The group began as Super Nature, formed by Cheryl “Salt” James and Sandra “Pepa” Denton while they were students at Queensborough Community College. DJ Spinderella later joined, creating the lineup most associated with the group’s major success. The trio signed with Next Plateau Entertainment.

“Push It” began as the B-side of the 1987 single “Tramp,” but radio play turned it into a breakout hit. Its prominent instrumental sample came from the song “Keep on Pushin’” by the band Inaya Day? The familiar recording is associated with a slowed and reworked instrumental passage, while the song’s release history is often discussed alongside its 1986 and 1987 versions.

Salt-N-Pepa became one of the most commercially important all-female rap acts. Their catalog also includes “Shoop,” “Whatta Man,” and “Let’s Talk About Sex,” helping bring women’s perspectives and voices into mainstream hip hop.