Cheryl “Salt” James and Sandra “Pepa” Denton are fighting to regain control of the music that made them hip-hop legends—but they say Universal Music Group (UMG) is standing in the way.
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The pioneering rap duo filed a federal lawsuit this week in New York, accusing UMG of refusing to return the rights to their master recordings.
Citing the Copyright Act of 1976, Salt-N-Pepa argues that the law gives artists the right to terminate previous agreements and reclaim ownership of their work after a certain period. According to the suit, they submitted termination notices in 2022. However, they claim UMG has ignored those notices and blocked them from licensing their music elsewhere. They also allege UMG pulled their songs from streaming platforms, cutting off a key source of revenue and exposure.
The lawsuit seeks at least $1 million in damages. The duo is also asking the court to officially recognize their ownership rights and permanently bar UMG from distributing their music without proper authorization.
Salt-N-Pepa’s Pioneering Career
UMG argues that the disputed recordings are “works made for hire,” a legal classification that would prevent the artists from reclaiming rights under the Copyright Act. Salt-N-Pepa reject this claim, stating that their original contracts do not support UMG’s position.
James and Denton say they “will not tolerate disrespect from UMG who has benefited greatly from Plaintiffs’ enormous and immeasurable contributions to the industry as artists, rappers, icons, and women—often in the face of immense odds and despite enormous industry pressure.”
“Salt-N-Pepa boldly changed the look of rap and hip-hop,” the suit states. “They talked candidly about women’s sexuality and empowerment when such topics were frowned upon, heavily criticized, and called taboo.”
As trailblazers in the genre, Salt-N-Pepa were the first female rap group to go platinum and win a Grammy. They’ve sold over 15 million albums in the U.S. and racked up more than 1 billion global streams. On November 8, they’ll be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame—another milestone in their influential career.
