Salt-N-Pepa’s UMG Lawsuit Dismissed By Federal Judge

A federal judge in New York has dismissed Salt-N-Pepa’s lawsuit against Universal Music Group (UMG), dealing a setback to the legendary Hip-Hop duo’s effort to reclaim ownership of their master recordings.

The lawsuit, filed by group members Cheryl “Salt” James and Sandra “Pepa” Denton, centered on Section 203 of the Copyright Act, which allows creators to terminate certain transfers of copyright after a statutory period. James and Denton also accused UMG of pulling their music from streaming services in retaliation after they initially filed suit.

The decision was issued by U.S. District Judge Denise Cote and focused heavily on the group’s original 1986 contract. According to the ruling, the duo failed to demonstrate that they ever owned the master recordings they sought to reclaim under federal termination law.

Instead, the court pointed to Noise In The Attic Productions, Inc. (NITA)—founded by producer Hurby “Luv Bug” Azor—as the original copyright holder of the recordings. The masters were later transferred from NITA to Next Plateau Records, acquired by London Records, and ultimately absorbed by UMG.

“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,” Cote wrote.

In response to the ruling, James and Denton expressed their intent to continue fighting. “We respectfully disagree with the Court’s decision and fully intend to pursue our rights on appeal,” the duo said in a statement to journalist Loren Lorosa.

“We, Cheryl James and Sandra Denton, also known as the hip-hop icons Salt-N-Pepa, are the creative and driving force behind all our sound recordings and have performed these songs over the past 40 years. We remain committed to vindicating and reclaiming our rights as creators under the Copyright Act.”

UMG, meanwhile, signaled a willingness to move forward in its relationship with the group despite the court’s complete rejection of the artists’ claims. “Even with the court’s complete rejection of their claims, we remain open and willing to find a resolution to the matter and turn the page so we can focus our efforts on working together to amplify Salt-N-Pepa’s legacy for generations to come.”

James and Denton also addressed fans directly on social media, underscoring that the fight is not over. “For the last few years, we’ve been fighting to regain ownership of the music we created,” the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductees wrote in a statement. “Yesterday, we received a setback in the process, but we believe that justice will prevail in the end.”

“We’re still here. We’re still Salt-N-Pepa. And we’re not done fighting. Not just for us, but for every artist who deserves to own what they create.”

See Salt-N-Pepa’s Instagram post below.