Salt-N-Pepa are taking the next step in their long-running legal fight over their music.
The Grammy-winning duo has filed a notice of appeal challenging a recent ruling that dismissed their lawsuit against Universal Music Group over ownership of their master recordings.
Cheryl James and Sandra Denton are asking the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit to review a January decision that found they never legally owned the copyrights to their recordings and therefore cannot reclaim them under federal law.
The case stems from contracts signed in the mid-1980s with producer Hurby Azor’s company, which later transferred the rights to a label that later became part of Universal. Salt-N-Pepa argues that the paperwork tied to those deals constituted a direct grant from the artists themselves, allowing them to exercise termination rights decades later.
The judge disagreed, writing that the only transfer occurred between companies, not from the performers.
Universal called the dismissal a win, saying it was “a complete vindication,” while adding it remains open to discussion.
Salt-N-Pepa maintains that their catalog continues to generate significant income through streaming and licensing. The appeal arrives shortly after their Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction.