Before Cheryl James took on the stage moniker of Salt in the iconic hip-hop trio Salt-N-Pepa, she wanted to revolutionize the world of office and administrative support.

“First, I was going to be a psychologist,” James said during a recent Zoom call. “When I started taking logic classes, I was like, okay, this is not what I thought, so I’m just going to be the best secretary ever.”

Spoiler: James took a different route.

Rather than push papers, she set out to “push it” to the top of hip-hop. James, alongside Sandra “Pepa” Denton and DJ Deidra “Spinderella” Roper, went on to make history. The trio was the first female rap act to go platinum, win a Grammy Award, and, more recently, be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

The cultural icons will celebrate their catalogue of hits, including “Push It!,” “Shoop,” and “Whatta Man” at Yaamava’ Resort & Casino in Highland on Wednesday, Dec. 31, to ring in the New Year.

“We are known for putting on a great show, and it is always so interactive,” James said. “We’re so connected with our audience and don’t take them for granted. As we always say, if we’re having fun, they’re having fun. Also, Spinderella is back, and that hasn’t happened in a while.”

Although James’ larger-than-life stage presence as Salt is part of the force that launched the group to stardom, she describes herself as an introvert and the unlikeliest person to welcome the spotlight, that is, anywhere other than the stage.

“I was a pretty shy kid, but I always loved music,” she said. “I used to be that kid who would put on the shows for the aunties, gather all the cousins, produce the show, write the screenplay, make up the dance steps, the music and everything. My mom used to take me to all the Broadway shows, so it was in me. I wanted to entertain. Salt became a way for me to express my introverted self in an extroverted way. People to this day still look at me, especially my mom, and say things like, ‘It’s still weird to me that you are Salt.’ She knows the difference between Salt and me.”

Part of what motivated James to become Salt was her genuine belief in Salt-N-Pepa. The rapper said she deeply felt the difference between what she thought she could accomplish in college and what she and the girls could do behind mics and turntables. That razor-sharp certainty was required to cut down any obstacles and naysayers in the music business. “People laughed at me in the beginning: friends, family, even some rappers,” she said. “I won’t mention any names, but here we are: a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, Hollywood Walk of Fame, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and every other award in between. So stay the course, ladies.”

“It’s rough for women everywhere,” she continued. “It’s not just hip-hop; it’s a male-dominated world, but hip-hop is very testosterone-driven, and we definitely had to work harder to be respected, heard, and accepted. Russell Simmons gave us a thumbs down early on, and years later, he and his colleagues tried to sign us to Def Jam, which was such a great full-circle moment.”

The debut album, “Hot, Cool & Vicious,” was released in 1986 and featured some of the group’s most iconic songs, including “Tramp,” “The Showstopper,” and “My Mic Sounds Nice.”

But the single “Tramp” needed a B-side. The girls returned to the studio, and San Francisco DJ and producer Cameron Paul crafted the dance anthem “Push It.” The last-minute push for a B-Side single to balance “Tramp” led to massive success, with pop crossover play and workout inspiration in aerobics classes across the country. The single went platinum, earned them a Grammy nomination, and put the doubts to bed.

“It was the breakthrough on all levels,” James said. “International success with non-believers becoming believers.

“It was such a phenomenon, and that’s when people really started taking us seriously. Of course, we later won a Grammy, which is the industry’s stamp of approval. But our earlier songs, the more street ones that broke us, laid the groundwork and set us up for the home run. Those early songs really helped solidify our street cred in hip-hop.”

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