Universal Lawsuit Dismissed by Court - Salt-N-Pepa lose landmark lawsuit over rights to *Push It* and early hits
A federal judge in New York has dismissed Salt-N-Pepa’s lawsuit against Universal Music Group (UMG) over the rights to their iconic recordings. The hip-hop duo had accused the label of removing their music from streaming platforms in retaliation for their attempt to reclaim ownership. Their 1986 hit Push It alone has been streamed over 210 million times on Spotify.
The legal battle centred on who held the original copyrights to Salt-N-Pepa’s early work. The judge ruled that the artists never owned the recordings—their record label and production company did. Because of this, the court found they could not use termination rights to reclaim them.
UMG called the lawsuit ‘baseless’ and welcomed the dismissal. The company also stated it remained open to discussions with the duo. Salt-N-Pepa had argued that UMG retaliated by pulling their songs from major streaming services, but the judge found no evidence to support this claim. The case highlights a long-standing issue in the music industry: artists often do not control the rights to their own recordings. Salt-N-Pepa’s attempt to regain ownership followed similar legal battles by other musicians seeking to reclaim their early work.
The ruling leaves Salt-N-Pepa without legal control over their classic tracks. UMG retains the rights to their recordings, including Push It and other hits. The decision closes this chapter in the dispute, though the artists may still pursue private negotiations with the label.
