A federal judge has dismissed Salt-N-Pepa’s lawsuit against Universal Music Group (UMG), dealing a major setback to the pioneering hip-hop duo’s long-running fight to reclaim ownership of their master recordings.
Fighting For Their Hits
The Jan. 8 ruling, issued by U.S. District Judge Denise Cote in New York, centers on Cheryl “Salt” James and Sandra “Pepa” Denton’s attempt to invoke Section 203 of the Copyright Act, which allows artists to terminate certain copyright transfers after a statutory period. Since the trendsetting group was formed in 1985, most of their hits were in the late ’80s and ’90s — nearly 40 yeas ago. (The group also includes DJ Spinderella, currently Deidra Muriel Roper, who joined the group in 1987 replacing the group’s original DJ, Latoya Hanson.)
James and Denton initially filed the lawsuit in May 2025, arguing that they were entitled to regain control of their early recordings, including career-defining hits such as the 1987 hit “Push It.”
Judge Cote granted UMG’s motion to dismiss, concluding that the duo failed to show they ever owned the master recordings at issue. According to the court, the original copyrights were held by Noise In The Attic Productions, Inc. (NITA), a company founded by producer Hurby “Luv Bug” Azor. Those recordings were later transferred from NITA to Next Plateau Records, then to London Records, and later absorbed by UMG.
In her decision, Cote emphasized that federal termination rights apply only to copyright transfers executed by the artists themselves. Because the contracts cited in the case showed that the transfers were made by NITA, and not James and Denton, the court found that Salt-N-Pepa could not legally terminate UMG’s ownership under Section 203. The judge also rejected the duo’s claims that UMG retaliated by removing their music from streaming platforms.
Despite the dismissal, James and Denton have made clear that the legal fight is far from over. In press statements, the 2025 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductees said they plan to appeal the decision.
UMG said in a statement it remains willing to work with Salt-N-Pepa to move forward and focus on preserving and amplifying the group’s musical legacy.
