Salt-N-Pepa Lose Bid to Retake Control of Iconic Recordings

A federal judge has thrown out Salt-N-Pepa's lawsuit which was about them wanting to get back the ownership of their master recordings, closing a significant part of their hip-hop legacy through this legal battle.

Cheryl "Salt" James and Sandra "Pepa" Denton brought a suit against Universal Music Group in May 2025. They alleged that the label had declined their requests to use the "termination rights" under Section 203 of the U.S. Copyright Act. This law allows artists to reclaim rights to works they assigned decades earlier.

Rolling Stone reported that U.S. District Judge Denise Cote, in her ruling on Thursday, pointed out that the duo have never actually transferred the original copyright themselves. Therefore, according to the judge, they don't have the legal basis to reclaim the recordings.

"The only copyright transfer effectuated by these agreements was the one from NITA to Next Plateau Records," Judge Cote wrote. "Plaintiffs can only terminate copyright transfers that they executed. As a result, plaintiffs do not plausibly allege a claim for declaratory relief."

Legal Battle Over 1986 Deal

The dispute centered on Salt-N-Pepa's 1986 contract with Next Plateau Records. UMG argued that the contract had been signed by Noise in the Attic (NITA) Productions, a company controlled by producer Hurby "Luv Bug" Azor, not the duo themselves. Because the copyright grant originated from NITA rather than the artists, Judge Cote concluded they had no legal standing to terminate it.

The suit also claimed that as a form of retaliation, UMG took Salt-N-Pepa's music catalog off streaming services, which essentially cut off the duo's source of income from their songs.

As examples of the duo's tracks with a strong streaming presence and being able to generate money, the complaint refers to "Push It," "Shoop," and "Let's Talk About Sex." However, it says that after the singers' actions, the group effectively lost their say over their work and the right to benefit from it.

UMG Responds

Following the dismissal, Universal Music Group issued a statement to Billboard, calling the suit "baseless."

A spokesperson added that the company had previously attempted to resolve the dispute amicably and improve the artists' compensation. "Even with the court's complete rejection of their claims, we remain open and willing to find a resolution to the matter and turn the page so we can focus our efforts on working together to amplify Salt-N-Pepa's legacy for generations to come," the statement said.

Salt-N-Pepa, the duo that set the standard for female rap during the late 1980s and early 1990s, remain a major source of inspiration for new generations. The song "Push It" from 1987, for example, was streamed more than 210 million times on Spotify only.

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Lawsuit