Cheryl "Salt" James and Sandra "Pepa" Denton, the pioneering duo known as Salt-N-Pepa, have filed a lawsuit against Universal Music Group (UMG), alleging that the label is unlawfully withholding the rights to their master recordings. The suit, filed in federal court in New York on Monday, May 19, 2025, claims that UMG is violating the Copyright Act by refusing to honor the group's attempt to reclaim ownership of their music.

Salt-N-Pepa, who rose to fame in the late 1980s with hits like "Push It" and "Shoop," are seeking to regain control of their catalog under Section 203 of the U.S. Copyright Act. This provision allows artists to terminate previous agreements and reclaim ownership of their recordings after a certain period, typically 35 years. The duo states that they filed to terminate their contract in 2022, but UMG has "inexplicably" refused to honor it.

According to the lawsuit, UMG's actions have led to Salt-N-Pepa's music being quietly removed from major streaming services. The suit alleges that UMG has indicated it will hold the group's rights "hostage," even if it means devaluing the music catalog and depriving fans of access to their work. The group argues that this type of artist-label conflict is precisely why the copyright law exists – to give performers who signed early-career contracts the chance to later reclaim what's rightfully theirs.

UMG, however, maintains that the recordings were "works made for hire," a classification that would prevent Salt-N-Pepa from reclaiming their rights. The label also argues that James and Denton were not direct parties in the original 1986 agreement. Salt-N-Pepa strongly dispute this, asserting that their agreements with the label clearly state that they were not works for hire.

The lawsuit estimates that Salt-N-Pepa's catalog has generated $1 million in synchronization licenses alone in the past five months, despite little to no marketing efforts from UMG. The duo is 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. They also seek actual and punitive damages, along with a permanent injunction to confirm their rights.

This legal battle adds to a growing list of challenges facing Universal Music Group. In recent months, artists including Drake and Limp Bizkit have also filed complaints involving ownership disputes and royalty concerns.

Salt-N-Pepa's resurgence in pop culture, including a widely viewed Geico commercial in 2014, has reaffirmed the value of their catalog. The group was also the first female rap group to be certified platinum and win a Grammy. With over 1 billion global streams and 15 million physical album sales in the U.S., Salt-N-Pepa's legacy as pioneers of women in hip-hop is undeniable, and they are set to be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame on November 8, 2025.