Salt -N- Pepa Sue Universal Music Group

Rappers Salt -N- Pepa are suing Universal Music Group to retain their music rights...

From Musically

Salt-N-Pepa are suing Universal Music Group over its response to their filing of a notice of termination rights in 2022, which they say the label treated as “invalid and ineffective” because the two albums in question were “works made for hire”.

1986’s ‘Hot, Cool & Vicious’ and 1988’’s ‘A Salt With a Deadly Pepa’ are the albums at the heart of this case. Billboard reported that the artists want their termination rights to be declared valid, and are also seeking more than $1million in damages.

The lawsuit also claims that UMG has pulled the albums “from all major platforms in the US” amid the dispute, although they remain available elsewhere in the world – this story is being typed to the accompaniment of ‘Push It’ to test that out.

“UMG appears to take the position that it can unilaterally decide when and/or if a recording artist is entitled to termination,” claimed Salt-N-Pepa’s attorneys. “This is not the law, and UMG does not have this power.”