Major congrats are in order! The iconic Hip-Hop group Salt-N-Pepa were officially inducted into the 2025 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame this past Saturday night (November 8) at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. And yes, DJ Spinderella made history right along with them!
Missy Elliott, a legend in her own right, led the tribute to the groundbreaking trio: Cheryl “Salt” James, Sandra “Pepa” Denton, and Deidra Muriel “DJ Spinderella” Roper. Back in 2023, Missy became the first female rapper to be inducted into the Rock Hall, so you already know her words carried weight. As Missy presented the award, 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.”
James and Denton accepted this year’s “Musical Influence Award,” and their formerly estranged DJ was right there with them, becoming the first female DJ inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. That’s how you make history!
Salt-N-Pepa Calls Out Universal Music Group Amid Fight For Masters During 2025 Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame Speech
But it wasn’t all celebration. James and Denton used the big moment to publicly address their ongoing legal battle with Universal Music Group (UMG) over the ownership of their master recordings. The fight kicked off in May 2025 when the group filed a federal lawsuit, claiming UMG was violating the Copyright Act by refusing to hand over the rights to their catalog more than 35 years after its release.
Their remarks shone a spotlight on the urgency of their legal fight, pushing for fair artist compensation, streaming access, and cultural preservation. This is especially critical for trailblazing women in Hip-Hop whose contributions have been historically undervalued.
During their acceptance speech, James said, “This is for every woman who picked up a mic when they told her she couldn’t.” She then called out UMG over their master recordings, adding:
“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.”
Before the speeches, Salt-N-Pepa set the stage on fire with a medley of their biggest hits. They started with “My Mic Sounds Nice,” flowed into “Shoop,” and then dropped their 1991 smash, “Let’s Talk About Sex.” DJ Spinderella showed off her legendary scratching skills before En Vogue joined them for their 1993 collab, “What Man.”
To top it off, the group’s original producer Hurby “Luv Bug” Azor hopped on stage to dance with the trio during “Push It.” Cyndi Lauper, a fellow 2025 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee, and Avril Lavigne also came out to show love.
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Disclaimer:
For Education and discussion purposes. Please note no copyright infringement is intended, was recorded on BlkCosmo’s own equipment, and we do not own nor claim to own any of the original recordings used in this video and intend to use this as ‘fair use’.
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 at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles.){kind=link}