Salt-N-Pepa get candid in Rock Hall speech, say 'the industry doesn't want to play fair'
- - Salt-N-Pepa get candid in Rock Hall speech, say 'the industry doesn't want to play fair'
Melissa Ruggieri, USA TODAYNovember 10, 2025 at 1:58 AM
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Salt-N-Pepa has never dodged frankness.
Even at their Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction, the hip-hop pioneers took a moment from celebrating to put the music industry on blast.
Cheryl “Salt” James, along with Sandra “Pepa” Denton and DJ Deidra “Spinderella” Roper, accepted the musical influence award at the ceremony on Saturday, Nov. 8, in Los Angeles.
But along with dedicating the honor to “every woman who picked up a mic when they told her she couldn’t,” James used her platform to reinforce the importance of artists owning their work.
“We had cassette tapes, turntables and dreams,” James said, “And we are in a fight right now for our masters. After 40 years, as we celebrate this, kids can’t even stream our music. It’s been taken off every streaming platform because the industry still doesn’t want to play fair.”
But James added as she leaned into the microphone, “Salt-N-Pepa has never been afraid of a fight.”
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Sandra Denton (aka Pepa, from left), Deidra Roper (DJ Spinderella) and Cheryl James (Salt) perform during the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony at Peacock Theater on Nov. 8, 2025, in Los Angeles.
In May, Salt-N-Pepa sued Universal Music Group, the owner of their masters, saying the label is in violation of the Copyright Act of 1976, which allows musicians to reclaim control of their music after 35 years. The rap group alleges UMG has refused to relinquish ownership.
The New York-formed hip-hop triumvirate, eligible for induction since 2010, is the first female rap act to be installed in the Rock Hall.
Their speech followed a vivacious set including Roper/Spinderella, with whom they reunited in 2022 after a few years of legal wrangling about royalties.
Spinderella dropped the beat into their 1993 hit “Shoop,” as she, Denton and James rolled through the unapologetic candidness of “Let’s Talk About Sex.” En Vogue joined the party for their collective anthem, “Whatta Man,” before Kid ‘n Play arrived with their ankle-crossing dance to bounce with Salt-N-Pepa throughout the group's 1986 breakthrough, “Push It.”
During her part of the acceptance speech, Roper, the first woman DJ to gain entry into the Rock Hall, pledged her allegiance to her fellow female turntable experts.
“I carry every female DJ who ever dared to dream. Every woman who touched a turntable and said, ‘I can do that, too.’ This is ours,” Roper said. “Respect the DJ!”
Contributing: Kim Willis
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Salt-N-Pepa's Rock Hall speech puts the music industry on blast
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