Salt-N-Pepa Accuse UMG of Holding Music ‘Hostage,’ Fights for Masters

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 violating the Copyright Act by not allowing the musicians to reclaim control of their music’s intellectual property 35 years after its release.

According to the lawsuit, obtained by Rolling Stone, the pair filed notices of termination in 2022 to reclaim the master rights, which are owned by UMG’s Next Plateau Records and London Records, signed in 1986 and 1992, respectively. The Associated Press was first to report the news.

“To the contrary, UMG has 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,” the lawsuit reads, referring to the group’s removal of music from streaming services.

According to an attached exhibit, the duo served UMG with a notice of termination rights, claiming that 1988’s A Salt With a Deadly Pepa and 1986’s Hot, Cool & Vicious were up for termination of their copyright in 2024. The exhibit also states that copyright ownership for 1990’s A Blitz of Salt-N-Pepa Hits and Blacks’ Magic, along with 1993’s Very Necessary, are up in 2025. It also listed several remixed versions of their albums, along with other recordings that they say should be up for termination in 2026.

“UMG’s copyright ownership interest in the Sound Recordings is not subject to termination. For the reasons stated, UMG will continue to possess the exclusive right to exploit the Sound Recordings pursuant to its rights,” read a June 2022 response letter from UMG’s legal team. “Ms. James and Ms. Denton are hereby advised to refrain from attempting to exploit the Sound Recordings or taking any other actions interfering with UMG’s continuing rights in the Sound Recordings.”

Reps for UMG did not immediately respond to Rolling Stone‘s request for comment.

Legal reps for Salt-N-Pepa told Rolling Stone that the removal of the pair’s music from major platforms was a “stunning act of retaliation.” The lawsuit comes ahead of the musicians’ induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

“[They’re] punishing them for asserting those rights and silencing decades of culture-shifting work,” the reps wrote. “Like many artists, they’re challenging a system that profits from their work while denying them control. This fight is about more than contracts—it’s about legacy, justice, and the future of artist ownership.”

Along with the rights to the masters, the duo is also requesting actual damages that could “well exceed $1 million.” They are also asking for a permanent injunction to confirm their rights to the songs recorded and claim they want to reach a “mutually acceptable resolution.”