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Salt-N-Pepa Claim UMG Pulled Them from Streaming Services in Retaliation for Trying to Reclaim Rights to Their Hits: Lawsuit

Salt-N-Pepa sues Universal Music Group after the record label allegedly pulled their music in retaliation. The all-female group launched into stardom with their iconic tracks including ‘Push It,’ ‘Shoop,’ and ‘Let’s Talk About Sex.'

Cheryl James and Sandra Denton, known famously as Salt-N-Pepa, filed a lawsuit on Monday, May 19, in New York federal court against Universal Music Group (UMG), accusing the label of refusing to honor their legal right to reclaim ownership of their master recordings under the U.S. The complaint, obtained by PEOPLE, explains that Salt-N-Pepa followed a copyright law that lets artists take back control of their music 35 years after signing away the rights, and they officially notified Universal of their decision in 2022. According to the suit, UMG rejected the notices and subsequently removed “Push It,” “Shoop,” “Let’s Talk About Sex” and the group's other songs from major U.S. streaming services like Spotify and Apple Music while allegedly continuing to claim ownership of the recordings.

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