Salt-N-Pepa Lawsuit Against Universal Music Group Dismissed

A New York court has dismissed Salt-N-Pepa’s lawsuit against Universal Music Group (UMG).

As reported by Rolling Stone, the hip hop icons filed a lawsuit last year alleging that the label was holding their music “hostage” by not allowing them to reclaim their master recordings after 35 years, a practice they claimed violated the Copyright Act.

UMG successfully filed a motion to dismiss the case “for failure to state a claim,” which District Judge Denise Cote in United States District Court – Southern District of New York granted this week.

“While we are gratified that the court dismissed this baseless lawsuit, it should never have been brought in the first place,” a Universal Music Group spokesperson shared in a statement.

“Prior to this suit—and without any legal obligation to do so—we made multiple attempts to resolve the matter amicably, improve the artists’ compensation, and ensure that Salt-N-Pepa’s fans had access to their music.”

It comes after Salt-N-Pepa publicly addressed the lawsuit during their induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame last November.

“As we celebrate this moment, fans can’t even stream our music. It’s been taken down from all streaming platforms because the industry still doesn’t want to play fair,” Cheryl “Salt” James said.

“Salt-N-Pepa have never been afraid of a fight. This is the Influence Award. We have to keep using our influence until the industry honours creativity the way the audience does — with love, respect and fairness — and that includes streaming platforms too.”

Despite the court’s decisive ruling against the artists, UMG has indicated that the door remains open for future negotiations. The company’s spokesperson concluded that they “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”.