Congratulations! Legendary Hip-Hop girl group Salt-N-Pepa were inducted into the 2025 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame on Saturday night (November 8) at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, with DJ Spinderella making history as well.
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Missy Elliott led the tribute to the trailblazing rap trio consisting of: Cheryl “Salt” James, Sandra “Pepa” Denton, and Deidra Muriel “DJ Spinderella” Roper. In 2023, Elliott became the first female rapper to be nominated and inducted into the Rock Hall. As Missy presented to the trio, she said:
“The reason that you even know Missy Elliott’s name is because of Salt, Pepa, and Spinderella. When you see your favorite rapper, understand that if they’re on top, there’s a foundation that they’re standing on. These three women are the bricklayers to the foundation that holds hip-hop together. They gave us their shoulders to stand on.”
As James and Denton accepted this year’s “Musical Influence Award,” their formerly estranged DJ did as well, becoming the first female DJ inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
Salt-N-Pepa Calls Out Universal Music Group Amid Fight For Masters During 2025 Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame Speech
While accepting the big honor James and Denton publicly addressed their ongoing legal battle with Universal Music Group (UMG) over ownership of their master recordings. The fight first began in May 2025. At the time, the group filed a federal lawsuit alleging UMG violated the Copyright Act by refusing to relinquish rights to their catalog more than 35 years after its release.
The group’s remarks further added urgency to their legal fight pushing for adequate artist compensation, streaming access, and cultural preservation — especially as they are trailblazing women in Hip-Hop with historically undervalued contributions.
During their acceptance speech, James said, “This is for every woman who picked up a mic when they told her her she couldn’t.” She continued to slam UMG over their master recordings, stating:
“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. 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.”
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Before their speeches, Salt-N-Pepa took the stage to perform a medley of their hits. They kicked it off with “My Mic Sounds Nice,” transitioned into “Shoop,” and then their 1991 hit “Let’s Talk About Sex.” DJ Spinderella also showed off her scratching skills before En Vogue hit the stage to perform their 1993 collaboration, “What Man.”
Finally, the group’s original producer Hurby “Luv Bug” Azor joined the trio as they danced to “Push It.” Cyndi Lauper, fellow 2025 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee, and Avril Lavigne also hit the stage with the group, plus more.
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