Salt-N-Pepa Battle for ‘Push It’ Masters: LA Lawsuit Aims to Shift Artist Rights
Here we are with another courtroom drama—and this time it’s Salt-N-Pepa going after their old label to reclaim the masters for ‘Push It’ and classic 90s anthems. Cheryl “Salt” James and Sandra “Pepa” Denton filed suit in LA Superior Court on December 12, 2023, accusing London Records and Universal Music Group of withholding royalty statements and clinging to indefinite ownership of their biggest hits. According to court documents obtained by Rolling Stone and Variety, the duo’s 1985–1992 contracts never granted them rights to master recordings for platinum sellers like “Push It” (1987), “Let’s Talk About Sex” (1991), “Shoop” (1993) or their smash collab “Whatta Man” (1993).
Salt-N-Pepa allege they’ve only received flat fees and patchy accounting, missing out on lucrative sync deals in Netflix series, video games and high-end ad campaigns. Their complaint invokes California’s Resale Royalty Act and Civil Code Section 1008, seeking both statutory damages—potentially in the mid-seven figures—and transfer of master tapes now stored overseas. Industry observers from Billboard note that similar retroactive claims by legacy acts have “shaken the foundations” of major labels in recent years.
Leaked interview transcripts in the filings reveal James confessing, “We thought ownership would come with longevity—not just a paycheck.” Denton adds, “Seeing our music everywhere without control just feels off.” The suit also spots an unreleased remix vault—rumored to house alternate takes worth at least $10 million on the collector market.
Insiders cited in The New York Post warn that if Salt-N-Pepa succeed, labels may face a wave of suits from other 80s and 90s artists—picture Run-DMC, LL Cool J or early Madonna demanding master rights. Universal has so far declined to comment publicly, but legal reps are expected to contest the applicability of current California statutes to decades-old agreements. Discovery kicks off spring 2024, with depositions of former execs likely to turn up some juicy back-room promises.
Beyond its headline-grabbing nature, this lawsuit underscores a broader reckoning over streaming revenue and artist equity. It’s a reminder that the pioneering women of hip-hop aren’t about to let their legacy—or their bank accounts—be defined by archaic paperwork. If this trends, don’t say I didn’t warn you. Anyway, that’s the deal. Do with it what you will.
Sources: Celebrity Storm and Rolling Stone, Variety, Billboard, The New York Post
Attribution: Creative Commons Licensed
