Salt-N-Pepa Blast UMG in Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Speech

Salt-N-Pepa took the opportunity at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony on Saturday night to call out Universal Music Group. While accepting the Musical Influence Award, the iconic duo used their speech to speak openly about their ongoing fight to regain ownership of their masters, accusing UMG of retaliating against them for trying to reclaim what’s theirs.

“When we came out, the industry was different,” Salt said. “We didn’t have streaming, we didn’t have social media. We had cassette tapes, turntables and dreams. But even back then, we had to fight to be heard to prove our worth. We’re in a fight right now for our masters that rightfully belong to us. After 40 years, 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 went on to add, “This is the Influencer Award. We have to keep using our influence until the industry honors the creativity the way the audience does—with love, respect and fairness. And that includes streaming platforms, too. Hip-hop gave us a voice and we’ll keep using it.”

Salt-N-Pepa UMG Lawsuit

“Thank you to the fans, the DJs and the women who rhymed in their mirrors and the mighty good men who supported,” she said in closing. “I want to apologize to the countless fans who got in trouble for cutting their hair like us and singing our lyrics. We love you. To all the guys who had a crush on us and had our posters on the wall, you’re welcome. And to Pep and Spin, I love you ladies for being together again. It feels so good to make history.”

Earlier this year, Salt-N-Pepa filed a lawsuit against Universal Music Group, claiming the company violated the Copyright Act. The law allows artists to reclaim ownership of their intellectual property 35 years after it’s released. The pair allege that UMG is intentionally preventing them from gaining control of their masters and has even removed their music from streaming platforms.