Federal Judge Dismisses Salt-N-Pepa’s Lawsuit Against Universal Music Group

Cheryl James and Sandra Denton of Salt-N-Pepa in New York City in April 2018.
Credit:

Desiree Navarro/WireImage

Key Facts

• Salt-N-Pepa’s lawsuit against Universal Music Group has been dismissed by a New York federal judge on Thursday, Jan. 8.
• The group filed the lawsuit in May 2025, claiming the label refused to honor their legal right to reclaim ownership of their master recordings under the U.S. Copyright Act.
• UMG characterized the lawsuit as “baseless” in a statement following the dismissal.

A federal judge has dismissed Salt-N-Pepa’s lawsuit against Universal Music Group (UMG), ruling that the iconic hip-hop duo did not adequately demonstrate ownership of the copyrights and master recordings central to the case.

On January 8, U.S. District Judge Denise Cote granted UMG’s motion to dismiss the lawsuit in the Southern District of New York, thereby terminating the case initiated by Cheryl James and Sandra Denton, collectively known as Salt-N-Pepa. The duo had filed the suit in May 2025, seeking to reclaim rights to their early sound recordings.

In her ruling, Judge Cote stated that the artists could not reclaim the recordings under the Copyright Act because they never owned or transferred the copyrights in question.

Sandra ‘Pepa’ Denton (L) and Cheryl ‘Salt’ James (R) in Los Angeles in November 2025.

Frazer Harrison/Getty

Judge Cote noted, “Even viewed in the light most favorable to Plaintiffs, the 1986 agreements do not indicate that Plaintiffs ever owned the copyrights to the sound recordings or that they granted a transfer of those rights to anyone else.” She clarified that federal law permits termination rights only to original authors who executed the initial grant.

Consequently, due to the absence of a qualifying copyright transfer, Judge Cote concluded that “Plaintiffs do not plausibly allege a claim for declaratory relief, and Count One is dismissed in full.”

Following the court’s decision, UMG released a statement expressing satisfaction with the dismissal. They asserted, “While we are gratified that the court dismissed this baseless lawsuit, it should never have been brought in the first place.” UMG maintained that they made multiple attempts to address the concerns raised by Salt-N-Pepa and enhance the artists’ compensation prior to the lawsuit.

Despite the court’s ruling, UMG expressed willingness to work toward a resolution and support Salt-N-Pepa’s legacy.

Salt-N-Pepa, who won a Grammy, had accused UMG of failing to honor their right to reclaim ownership of their master recordings and of retaliating by removing their music from streaming platforms.

The lawsuit cited copyright law allowing artists to reclaim control of their music 35 years after signing away their rights, with Salt-N-Pepa officially notifying Universal of their decision in 2022. The suit claims that UMG subsequently rejected these notices and removed their prominent tracks, including “Push It” and “Shoop,” from major U.S. streaming services.

Salt-N-Pepa argued that UMG’s actions have effectively limited their ability to profit from their own work, diminishing the value of their catalog. The lawsuit alleged “conversion,” asserting that UMG wrongfully exercised control over their property and sought declaratory relief, damages, and a permanent injunction to prevent further interference with their rights.

The case also underscored the duo’s enduring impact, as their recordings have generated significant royalties and continue to resonate with new fans. Notably, their classic hit “Push It” alone has over 210 million streams on Spotify.

Representatives for Salt-N-Pepa did not comment immediately following the ruling.