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Salt-N-Pepa sue UMG for blocking rights to their music, seeking $1M and full control of their catalog under U.S. copyright law.
Salt-N-Pepa is attempting to take legal action against Universal Music Group.
Hip-hop icons Salt-N-Pepa have taken legal action against Universal Music Group, alleging the label has refused to honor their right to reclaim ownership of their classic recordings.
Cheryl Salt James and Sandra Pepa Denton filed suit in federal court last week, accusing UMG of stonewalling their efforts to terminate its rights to their music under Section 203 of the U.S. Copyright Act.
That statute allows artists to regain control of their work decades after releasing it, a right the duo claims they’ve been denied.
“UMG’s ongoing refusal to acknowledge our rights under the law has not only stalled potential licensing deals, but also blocked us from earning revenue and promoting our own music,” the pair said in legal documents reviewed by the Associated Press.
The lawsuit argues that although the group’s dispute with UMG has been ongoing since 2002, the issue has reached a critical point now that Salt-N-Pepa’s music has quietly disappeared from major streaming services.
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While the removal hasn’t resulted in direct financial loss, James and Denton say it has severely limited their ability to negotiate new licensing agreements.
The artists are seeking a minimum of $1 million in damages, as well as a declaratory judgment recognizing their ownership rights and a permanent injunction barring UMG from distributing their catalog without proper authorization.
The suit adds to a growing list of legal challenges facing Universal. In recent months, artists including Drake and Limp Bizkit have also filed complaints involving ownership disputes and royalty concerns.
Salt-N-Pepa have taken legal action against Universal Music Group.(Image: Getty Images)
Salt-N-Pepa, pioneers of women in hip-hop, first rose to prominence in the late 1980s with hits like Push It and Shoop.
Their resurgence in pop culture, including a widely viewed Geico commercial in 2014, has reaffirmed the value of their catalog, making control over its licensing all the more critical.
At Sundance 2025, Salt-N-Pepa member DJ Spindella spoke with Daily Express US about past tension with other members.
“Everybody’s basically moved on, but we have a legacy that’s intact, and that’s all that matters,” she stated.
Universal Music Group has yet to respond publicly to the lawsuit.
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