HipHop Artists Salt-N-Pepa Sue UMG Over Masters

Salt-N-Pepa, the pioneering female hip-hop group and first to win a Grammy, has filed a 166-page lawsuit against Universal Music Group in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, seeking ownership of master recordings for their early music, including the 1980s hit “Push It.”

The NY Times reports Cheryl James and Sandra Denton, known as Salt-N-Pepa, allege Universal violated the Copyright Act of 1976, which allows artists to reclaim copyright ownership 35 years after initial grants. 

The duo, who signed with Universal subsidiaries in 1986 and 1992, served termination notices in 2022, claiming rights to recordings from their 1986 debut Hot, Cool & Vicious, as well as A Salt With a Deadly Pepa (1988) and Blacks’ Magic (1990). They assert that the copyright for Very Necessary (1993) is due for termination in 2026. 

According to the lawsuit, Universal failed to honor these requests and removed the group’s music from streaming platforms in retaliation.

The lawsuit claims Salt-N-Pepa’s music generates tens of millions annually, yet the group is denied control. “This is about legacy, justice, and artist ownership,” their lawyers stated, framing the suit as a challenge to a system that profits off artists while limiting their rights.

Universal countered, accusing the group’s counsel of using the lawsuit’s publicity to push “unreasonable demands.” The company expressed willingness to pursue mediation for an “amicable resolution.”

Salt-N-Pepa, nominated for five Grammys, won Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group in 1994 for “None of Your Business,” sharing the milestone as the first female rappers to win a Grammy alongside Queen Latifah. They are set for induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2025.