Salt-N-Pepa File Lawsuit to Regain Ownership of ‘Push It’ and Other Classic Tracks
Salt-N-Pepa are fighting to take back control of their legacy.
The legendary hip-hop duo, Cheryl “Salt” James and Sandra “Pepa” Denton, filed a lawsuit against Universal Music Group (UMG) on Monday, May 18, seeking to reclaim ownership of their master recordings under the Copyright Act of 1976, as reported by The Guardian.
The law allows artists to regain rights to their work after 35 years, and Salt-N-Pepa says that time is now.
According to the suit, the group’s trailblazing debut “Hot, Cool & Vicious” (1986), the smash 1987 hit “Push It,” and other early releases are eligible for immediate reversion. While later works, such as their 1993 multi-platinum album Very Necessary, would revert by 2026.
However, when Salt-N-Pepa asserted their rights, they allege UMG retaliated by yanking their music from streaming services — a move they say was meant to damage both their revenue and reputation.
“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 states, accusing the label of “maliciously” punishing them “for daring to assert their rights.”
UMG has pushed back, arguing that the music in question qualifies as “works made for hire,” meaning the label would retain ownership.
The company also claimed James and Denton weren’t direct parties to the 1986 recording agreement that launched their career, and therefore lack standing to terminate those rights.
The duo is seeking damages for lost revenue and punitive compensation that could “well exceed” $1 million — and, more importantly, the return of what they say is rightfully theirs.
