Salt-N-Pepa suing record label over rights to catalogue
Salt-N-Pepa are suing Universal Music Group (UMG) over rights to their master recordings.
On Monday, lawyers acting for the hip-hop group, comprised of Cheryl 'Salt' James and Sandra 'Pepa' Denton, filed a lawsuit in a court in New York.
According to the complaint, obtained by The Associated Press, Salt-N-Pepa allege executives at UMG have violated copyright law by refusing to give them back the rights to their master recordings, citing a law in which artists can seek to terminate decades-old agreements.
James and Denton claim they filed to end a contract under the Copyright Act of 1976 back in 2022 but "UMG has refused to honour" their request.
"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 lawsuit reads.
Salt-N-Pepa allege they should now own the rights to recordings on their 1986 debut album Hot, Cool & Vicious as well as to the 1987 hit Push It.
In addition, they believe the rights to the 1993 album Very Necessary, which includes the singles Shoop and Whatta Man, should be returned to them this year or in 2026.
They are seeking damages from UMG that could "well exceed $1 million (£750,000)".
Elsewhere, reps for Salt-N-Pepa alleged the removal of the group's music from streaming platforms was a "stunning act of retaliation".
"(They're) punishing them for asserting those rights and silencing decades of culture-shifting work," a spokesperson told Rolling Stone. "Like many artists, they're challenging a system that profits from their work while denying them control. This fight is about more than contracts - it's about legacy, justice, and the future of artist ownership."
Representatives for UMG have not yet commented on the lawsuit.
Later this year, Salt-N-Pepa will be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame under the musical influence category.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Newsweek
6 hours ago
- Newsweek
Meghan Markle's 'Baby Mama Dance' Video Sparks Debate
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Meghan Markle doing the "baby mama dance" to try to trigger labor while heavily pregnant with Princess Lilibet sparked both praise and criticism on social media. The Duchess of Sussex marked her daughter's fourth birthday by posting a never-before-seen video of herself dancing in a hospital room to "Baby Mama" by Starrkeisha. The clip quickly went viral and was praised by some, while the Daily Mail, for instance, referred to her as the "Queen of Cringe" in a headline on its homepage. Meghan Markle's Delivery Room Twerking Video Meghan Markle posted the footage on Instagram with the message: "Four years ago today, this also happened. Both of our children were a week past their due when spicy food, all that walking, and acupuncture didn't work - there was only one thing left to do!" Her Instagram reel was viewed around 21.6 million times in almost 24 hours after it was posted. Meghan Markle twerks while heavily pregnant with Princess Lilibet in a hospital room in 2021 alongside Prince Harry, who also dances. Meghan Markle twerks while heavily pregnant with Princess Lilibet in a hospital room in 2021 alongside Prince Harry, who also dances. Duchess of Sussex/Instagram Harry also wrote about the moment in his book Spare: "We drove calmly, sanely to the hospital, where our bodyguards once again fed us. "This time they brought burgers and fries from In-N-Out. And fajitas from a local Mexican restaurant for Meg. We ate and ate and then did the Baby Mama dance around the hospital room. "Nothing but joy and love in that room. Still, after many hours Meg asked the doctor: 'When?' 'Soon. We're close.'" What Supporters Say Christopher Bouzy, founder of social media analysis company Bot Sentinel, wrote on X (formerly Twitter): "Meghan dropped this video, and the haters and conspiracy theorists are spiraling like they just found out their tinfoil hats don't get Wi-Fi. Y'all crashing out over a pregnant woman dancing is why y'all are not serious people." Derek Guy, a prominent menswear journalist, on X: "Every whiny criticism of Meghan Markle has sounded totally idiotic. don't like something, stop watching. good lord." Dr. Shola Mos-Shogbamimu, on X: "I totally relate with Meghan here! By 40 weeks of pregnancy I was a menace & wanted the babies out! I did everything possible to 'encourage' them out and I mean EVERYTHING! If I told you all the antics I got up to it would make you blush." What Detractors Say Piers Morgan wrote on X: "We're about 2 months away from the sex tape..." Columnist Amanda Platell wrote in the Daily Mail: "Surely this is one of the most sacred and private times in a couple's relationship? What possibly made them think it a good idea to blaze it across social media? "And having set the pattern, how many more such moments do they have stocked away to release in the days and months to come, in a pathetic, desperate bid for attention? "Well, I'm sorry to break this to you but the video just made this couple who purport to be fiercely private a laughing stock across the world. Again." Journalist and broadcaster Camilla Tominey wrote in The Daily Telegraph: "When I was a week overdue with my second child (ironically named Harry), I did sort of go mad. Not Meghan-twerking-in-a-hospital-room crazy, but bonkers nonetheless." "It was undoubtedly the hardest seven days of all three pregnancies—including having to be induced with my third, another daughter," she continued. "So like many mothers, I watched Meghan and Harry's latest Instagram video with a mixture of genuine empathy and gobsmacked astonishment. "On one hand, I understand the sheer lunacy that can accompany being overdue. On the other, I'm not sure even in my wildest moments I would have chosen to 'twerk' my way through it. "I mean, I'm not sure twerking would even feature on the bingo card of 'things you do while in labour': gas and air? Check. Epidural? Check. Lash out at husband? Check. Perform a sexy slut drop, while lip-syncing, to the camera? Probably not, no." Author Oli London wrote on X: "Meghan Markle branded 'cringe' after sharing bizarre dance video throwback with Prince Harry while 9 months pregnant with Lillibet." Jack Royston is chief royal correspondent for Newsweek, based in London. You can find him on X, formerly Twitter, at @jack_royston and read his stories on Newsweek's The Royals Facebook page. Do you have a question about Charles and Queen Camilla, Prince William and Princess Kate, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry, or their family that you would like our experienced royal correspondents to answer? Email royals@ We'd love to hear from you.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
Pusha T Addresses Drake's UMG Lawsuit Over Kendrick Lamar's 'Not Like Us'
Pusha T is, once again, making his stance clear when it comes to his longtime rival, Drake—this time in light of the rapper's recent lawsuit against Universal Music Group. The legal action, sparked by Kendrick Lamar's scathing 'Not Like Us' diss track, has prompted reactions across the Hip-Hop community, but Pusha isn't holding back. In a new profile with GQ, the Virginia Beach native shared his blunt reaction to Drake's decision to take legal action, questioning what it means for his place in rap culture. 'I don't rate him no more,' Pusha said of Drake. 'The suing thing is bigger than some rap sh*t. I just don't rate you. Damn, it's like it just kind of cheapens the art of it once we gotta have real questions about suing and litigation. Like, what? For this?' Though critical of the lawsuit, Pusha did acknowledge that Drake may have a legitimate case, subtly referencing how his own 2018 diss, 'The Story of Adidon,' was allegedly suppressed by UMG. Still, as for reigniting their lyrical feud, Pusha appears unmoved. 'I think after everything that had been done, I don't think there was ever anything subliminal to be said ever again in life. Not only just musically, like bro, I actually was in Canada. I actually had a show and made it home,' he said, before adding: 'So, I can't pay attention to none of that. I did the dance for real, not to come back and tip-toe around anything.' Elsewhere in the article, Pusha touched on his fallout with Ye West, as well as he and his brother No Malice's forthcoming Clipse album, set to drop this summer. Speaking of Drake, the rapper recently made music history, becoming the artist with the most Diamond-certified singles ever, according to the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). With the recent elevation of 'Hold On, We're Going Home' and 'Best I Ever Had' to Diamond status—each representing 10 million units sold or streamed—Drake now holds an unprecedented 10 Diamond singles. The hitmaker surpassed both Post Malone and Garth Brooks, who previously shared the top spot with nine a piece. More from Pusha T On Current Relationship With Ye: "I Don't Think He's A Man" DJ Akademiks Clowns Ab-Soul For Being Legally Blind In Response To Diss Track Drake Breaks Record For Most Diamond-Certified Singles In RIAA History
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
Taylor Swift announces she bought back her masters with heartfelt letter to fans: ‘Bursting into tears'
Taylor Swift has bought back her masters! A week after Page Six exclusively revealed that buying back her masters was a possibility, the singer announced the news Friday with a lengthy message on her official website. 'I'm trying to gather my thoughts into something coherent, but right now my mind is just a slideshow,' she began her note, which was formatted like a handwritten letter. 'A flashback sequence of all the time I daydreamed about, wished for, and pined away for a chance to get to tell this news. All the times I was thiiiiiiiiiiis close, reaching out for it, only for it to fall through. 'I almost stopped thinking it could ever happen, after 20 years of having the carrot dangled and then yanked away. But that's all in the past now. I've been bursting into tears of joy at random intervals ever since I found that this is really happening. I really get to say those words. 'All of the music I've ever made … now belongs… to me.' Swift went on to reiterate that her entire catalog — which consists of music videos, concert films, album art and photography, unreleased songs, plus 'the memories, the magic, the madness, every single era, [her] entire life's work' — belongs to 2019, record executive Scooter Braun bought the rights to her first six albums — 'Taylor Swift,' 'Fearless,' 'Speak Now,' 'Red,' '1989' and 'Reputation' — for $300 million (allegedly without her approval) before they were acquired by the investment firm Shamrock Capital a year later. In 2018, however, Swift signed a new deal with Universal Music Group and Republic Records, where she recorded and owns the masters of 'Lover,' 'Folklore,' 'Evermore,' 'Midnights' and 'The Tortured Poets Department.' The 'Lover' songstress went on to explain in her letter that her music was so important to her and to her fans that she 'meticulously re-recorded and released' four of her albums, which she called 'Taylor's Version.' 'The passionate support you showed those albums and the success story you turned The Eras Tour into is why I was able to buy back my music,' she noted. 'I can't thank you enough for helping to reunite me with this art that I have dedicated my life to, but have never owned until now.' She went on to thank Shamrock Capital for 'being the first people' to offer her the chance to buy back her masters. 'They really saw it for what it was to me: My memories and my sweat and my handwriting and my decades of dreams,' she said before joking that her first tattoo might be a 'huge shamrock in the middle of my forehead.' The Grammy award winner then addressed Swifties' incessant theories that she would soon announce 'Reputation (Taylor's Version)', admitting, 'I haven't even re-recorded a quarter of it.' She explained that she couldn't seem to get in the zone because the album was 'so specific to that time in my life,' where she longed 'to be understood while feeling purposely misunderstood.' 'To be perfectly honest, it's the one album in those first 6 that I thought couldn't be improved upon by redoing it […] so I kept putting it off.' However, she promised that fans would get to listen to the unreleased vault tracks when the time is right and if they 'are into the idea.' On the other hand, she confessed to having re-recorded her debut album, 'Taylor Swift,' and she 'really [loves] how it sounds now.' 'Those 2 albums can still have their moments to re-emerge when the time is right, if that would be something you guys would be excited about. But if it happens, it won't be from a place of sadness and longing for what I wish I could have. It will just be a celebration now.' Additionally, Swift addressed how other celebrities have been inspired to 'negotiate to own their master recordings in their record contract.' 'Because of this fight, I'm reminded of how important it was for all of this to happen,' she said before thanking her fellow artists for making the conversation into a 'broad discussion.' 'You'll never know how much it means to me that you cared. Every single bit of it counted and ended us up here.' An 'elated and amazed' Swift concluded her emotional letter by quoting her song 'Mine,' 'The best things that have ever been mine … finally actually are.' The songwriter also broke her social media silence to celebrate the win by sharing photos of her sitting with her first six original albums fanned around her. 'You belong with me,' she captioned the post, quoting her famous 2008 song. Swift's announcement comes a little over a week after sources told Page Six that she finally had a chance to buy back the original recordings of her first six albums. And the deal was backed by none other than Braun himself, whom Swift had previously dubbed a 'bully' and the 'definition of toxic male privilege' in the music industry. 'Interestingly enough, one of the individuals who is encouraging this deal to take place is Scooter, who was at the center of the deal the first time around alongside Big Machine,' said a source, referencing Swift's original record label. We estimated, at the time, that the price tag for her masters would be anywhere between $600 million and $1 billion, according to Clayton Durant, founder of the music consulting firm CAD Management. 'If she could claw back and create a deal structure where she could get the rights to her original recordings, she exponentially increases the amount of money she makes,' Durant told Page Six. 'She's making money off the publishing still from the [original] songs,' but not as much as from the Taylor's Versions, he said. He also noted, 'When she puts out a re-recording version, consumption also spikes on the original.' Following the re-recording of her albums, plus her years-long Eras Tour, Swift became a billionaire in early 2024. Just last night, Swift was spotted dressed to the nines as she went out to dinner in New York City with Dakota Johnson. However, missing from their outing was Travis Kelce, whom the singer has been dating for almost two years.
