A federal judge has dismissed Salt-N-Pepa’s lawsuit against Universal Music Group (UMG), ruling that the iconic hip-hop duo could not plausibly claim ownership of the master recordings at the center of their legal battle. The dismissal comes nearly eight months after Cheryl James (“Salt”) and Sandra Denton (“Pepa”) filed the suit in May 2025.

Case Background

Salt-N-Pepa, Grammy-winning pioneers of hip-hop, sued UMG in May 2025, alleging the label retaliated against them for attempting to reclaim ownership of their early sound recordings. The duo sought to exercise their rights under the U.S. Copyright Act, which allows artists to terminate transfers of their works 35 years after the original agreement.

The lawsuit claimed that after Salt-N-Pepa issued official termination notices in 2022, UMG rejected the requests and removed hits such as “Push It,” “Shoop,” and “Let’s Talk About Sex” from major streaming platforms like Spotify and Apple Music, while continuing to claim ownership of the recordings.

Salt-N-Pepa argued that this action not only limited their ability to profit from their work but also devalued their catalog, seeking declaratory relief, damages, and a permanent injunction to prevent further interference.

Judge Rules Against Salt-N-Pepa

U.S. District Judge Denise Cote granted UMG’s motion to dismiss the case in the Southern District of New York, concluding that the plaintiffs failed to demonstrate legal ownership of the copyrights necessary to terminate the original agreements.

“Even viewed in the light most favorable to Plaintiffs, the 1986 agreements do not indicate that Plaintiffs ever owned the copyrights to the sound recordings or that they granted a transfer of those rights to anyone else,” Judge Cote wrote.

The judge emphasized that federal law allows termination rights only for authors who executed the original grant. Since Salt-N-Pepa could not show they were the original copyright holders, their claims for declaratory relief were dismissed in full.

Universal Music Group Responds

Following the ruling, UMG released a statement calling the lawsuit “baseless” but expressing a willingness to continue working with the duo:

“While we are gratified that the court dismissed this baseless lawsuit, it should never have been brought in the first place. 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.”

UMG added that despite the court’s rejection of the claims, the company remains open to collaborating with Salt-N-Pepa to preserve and amplify their musical legacy.

Salt-N-Pepa’s Enduring Influence

Even after the lawsuit dismissal, the duo’s influence on hip-hop and pop culture remains significant. Their catalog continues to generate millions in royalties and licensing deals, and their classic hit “Push It” has been streamed over 210 million times on Spotify alone.

Representatives for Salt-N-Pepa did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment following the court decision.