Pioneering female rap group Salt-N-Pepa, currently embroiled in a dispute over ownership of their masters, used their induction speeches at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame ceremony on Saturday to call out “the industry” for a situation that has led to their music being removed from major streaming platforms.
As Cheryl “Salt” James, Sandra “Pepa” Denton, and Deidra Roper (DJ Spinderella) accepted the Musical Influence award, James said, “As we celebrate this moment, fans can’t even stream our music. It’s been taken down from all streaming platforms because the industry still doesn’t want to play fair.
“Salt-N-Pepa have never been afraid of a fight,” she continued. “This is the Influence Award. We have to keep using our influence until the industry honors creativity the way the audience does—with love, respect, and fairness—and that includes streaming platforms too.”
Salt-N-Pepa filed a federal lawsuit against Universal Music Group (UMG), which owns their masters, in May, accusing the label of violating their rights. However, UMG responded with a filing claiming that the group could not exercise those “termination rights” because they didn’t sign the contract themselves.
A UMG spokesperson said that the company had made “repeated attempts” to “resolve this matter amicably,” adding, “Clearly, the artists’ legal counsel thinks they can use the threat of negative media coverage from the lawsuit to achieve their unreasonable demands. Despite this, and consistent with our longstanding practice, we remain committed to working towards an amicable resolution.”
Despite the ongoing legal dispute, the induction ceremony was mostly celebratory. The group reflected on their influences and influencees, including Missy Elliott, who inducted Salt-N-Pepa and was herself the first female rapper to be inducted into the Hall of Fame two years ago.
“This is for every woman who picked up a mic when they were told she couldn’t,” James said.
DJ Spinderella also made note of the overdue nature of her induction, saying, “I’ve been DJ-ing for 40 years, and I’m the first female DJ in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.”
Salt-N-Pepa capped off the event with a performance of a medley of their hits, including “My Mic Sounds Nice,” “Shoop,” and “Let’s Talk About Sex,” before being joined by En Vogue for their 1993 hit together, “Whatta Man.”
https://variety.com/2025/music/news/salt-n-pepa-call-out-universal-music-rock-hall-of-fame-1236573216/
