UMG scored another decisive legal victory Thursday when a federal judge dismissed Salt-N-Pepaās lawsuit against the music giant, marking the labelās second major court win against prominent rap artists in recent months.
U.S. District Judge Denise Cote ruled that Hip-Hop pioneers Cheryl James and Sandra Denton failed to establish ownership of the copyrights they were trying to reclaim under federal law. The judge said Salt-N-Pepa never owned the master recordings from their 1986 agreements and therefore could not terminate rights they never possessed. The dismissal represents UMGās latest courtroom triumph after the label successfully defended against Drakeās defamation lawsuit over Kendrick Lamarās explosive diss track āNot Like Usā in October 2025.
Salt-N-Pepa sued UMG in May 2025, alleging the label retaliated against their copyright termination efforts by removing classics such as āPush Itā and āShoopā from streaming platforms. The duo argued they followed federal law allowing artists to reclaim music rights after 35 years, but UMG rejected their notices and removed their catalog from Spotify and Apple Music. Judge Coteās ruling emphasized that copyright termination rights only apply to authors who executed original grants.