Salt-N-Pepa vs. UMG: The Battle for Hip-Hop’s Blueprint On May 19, 2025, rap pioneers Salt-N-Pepa officially entered legal combat with […] The post Salt-N-Pepa sue Universal Music over master ...

Salt-N-Pepa has filed a lawsuit against UMG to reclaim their music masters, seeking injunctive relief, declaratory judgment, and over $1 million in damages.

UMG representatives did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment. The lawsuit suggests that situations like Salt-N-Pepa’s are the very reason the provision of the copyright act exists.

Sandra Denton and Cheryl James of Salt-N-Pepa attend the Room to Read 2025 New York Gala on May 13, 2025, in New York City. Getty Images for Room to Read The fight, which has led to UMG pulling ...

UMG argues that Salt-N-Pepa’s initial contract was a work made for hire and that the two rappers were not personally party to the initial 1986 agreement. Salt-N-Pepa’s lawyers claim that this ...

Salt-N-Pepa's lawsuit says the women's agreements with the label make it very clear that they were not. The Queens, New York, duo of James and Denton became Salt-N-Pepa in 1985.

Salt-N-Pepa argue that UMG’s actions have effectively frozen their ability to profit from their own work while also diminishing the value of their catalog. The lawsuit accuses UMG of “conversion” — ...

Cheryl James and Sandra Denton, known famously as Salt-N-Pepa, filed a lawsuit on Monday, May 19, in New York federal court against Universal Music Group (UMG), accusing the label of refusing to ...

Salt-N-Pepa wants the rights to their music’s masters. On Monday, the rap duo — Cheryl “Salt” James and Sandra “Pepa” Denton — sued Universal Music Group (UMG), accusing the label of ...

Even though Salt-N-Pepa filed to end the contract and reclaim ownership as the law allows, “Inexplicably, UMG has refused to honor” their request, according to filings viewed by the AP.