The pop-rap group Salt-N-Pepa have sued Universal Music Group as they try to regain control over their master recordings.
Salt-N-Pepa are known for irrepressible hits across the 1980s and 1990s such as Push It and Let’s Talk About Sex, which both reached No 2 in the UK and the US Top 20.
Cheryl James and Sandra Denton, the original members of the group prior to DJ Spinderella joining, are citing a clause in the US Copyright Act which allows artists who have transferred their copyright to another party to reclaim it after 35 years.
In 2022, the pair filed termination notices, aiming to end UMG’s ownership of their early recordings. But in their lawsuit, they claim that UMG has said those termination notices are not valid because Salt-N-Pepa’s songs were “works made for hire” and so the duo cannot reclaim the rights.
“UMG appears to take the position that it can unilaterally decide when and/or if a recording artist is entitled to termination. This is not the law, and UMG does not have this power,” the lawsuit states.
The group’s first two albums, 1986’s Hot, Cool & Vicious and 1988’s A Salt With a Deadly Pepa, were removed from streaming services between May and July 2024. Denton and James allege that was a “punitive measure” by UMG, saying the company “indicated that it will hold plaintiffs’ rights hostage even if it means tanking the value of plaintiffs’ music catalogue and depriving their fans of access to their work”. They claim they lost out on “substantial royalties” when the catalogue was offline.
The duo have claimed that rights to their 1990 album Blacks’ Magic should have returned to them in March, are they also looking to win back the rights to later albums in May 2026.
Denton and James are seeking financial damages, and an injunction against UMG infringing on their copyright.
UMG have responded, saying: “Salt-N-Pepa’s own legal filings demonstrate the repeated attempts we have made to resolve this matter amicably (including offers to enter into a mediation) ever since the artists served an invalid termination notice.
“Although we had no legal obligation to do so, we still sought to find a way to improve the artists’ compensation and pay them directly – even after they had sold their royalty streams to a third party.
“Clearly, the artists’ legal counsel thinks they can use the threat of negative media coverage from the lawsuit to achieve their unreasonable demands. Despite this, and consistent with our longstanding practice, we remain committed to working towards an amicable resolution.”
Though they haven’t released an album since 1997’s Brand New, Salt-N-Pepa have continued to tour, with their most recent dates in 2023.
They were among the first women to win a Grammy for a rap performance, in 1995 for the track None of Your Business, taken from the album Very Necessary. Two other tracks from the album reached the US Top Five, Shoop and the En Vogue collaboration Whatta Man. They were given a lifetime achievement Grammy in 2021, and earlier this year were included in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s musical influence category.