Groundbreaking hip-hop duo Salt-N-Pepa is fighting to regain the rights to their music catalogue. They claim their record label is holding their work “hostage.”
Cheryl “Salt” James and Sandra “Pepa” Denton filed a lawsuit in a New York federal court on Monday. They accuse Universal Music Group (UMG) of refusing to transfer the rights to their master recordings, according to the Associated Press.
Salt-N-Pepa argue that UMG is breaking the Copyright Act of 1976. This law allows artists to end old contracts and take back ownership of their recordings after a certain number of years.
Under this law, James and Denton believe they should now own their early music. This includes tracks from their 1986 debut album, Hot, Cool & Vicious, which features their hit “Push It.” It also covers songs from their 1993 album, Very Necessary, which includes “Shoop” and “Whatta Man.”
The duo first filed to end their agreement with UMG in 2022. They said they were “eager to retake full ownership of their art and legacy,” the AP reported.
But the lawsuit says UMG “has refused to honor” these rights.
According to the complaint, “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 AP reports.
UMG did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The record label’s lawyers argue that Salt-N-Pepa’s recordings were “works made for hire.” They say this means the artists cannot reclaim ownership.
However, the lawsuit states that the contracts between the duo and UMG clearly say otherwise.
James and Denton are asking for financial compensation for lost earnings. They also seek punitive damages that could exceed $1 million, according to the AP.
In addition, the women want a court order confirming they own their master recordings permanently.
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