Salt-N-Pepa Expose Streaming Blackout, Announce 2026 Reunion Tour
At the 2025 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame ceremony in Los Angeles on November 8, Hip-Hop legends Salt-N-Pepa took center stage at the Peacock Theater. Cheryl “Salt” James, Sandra “Pepa” Denton and Deidra “Spinderella” Roper accepted the Musical Influence Award. The trio seized the moment to announce plans for a 2026 reunion tour and to take aim at streaming platforms.
The trio used the award announcement to highlight their struggle over missing tracks online. Legal filings detail a feud with Universal Music Group over ownership of their recordings. Their lawyers say the label retaliated by removing the trio’s catalog from leading streaming services, cutting off fans from hits that once ruled dance floors. Longtime followers have voiced frustration over finding no official streams of classics like “Push It” and “Whatta Man.”
“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.”
Their legal battle has not slowed their momentum. James used her acceptance interview with entertainment reporter Courtney Tezeno to tease a full reunion. “Are we doing a Reunion Tour?” she asked. “Yes, yes. 2026, but don’t quote us!” The clip aired shortly after their Hall of Fame speech. Fans took to social media in droves, speculating on venues and set lists.
Pepa spoke on the group’s impact: “Because we have forged such a path for women, and all the triumphs and everything that we have overcome, the good, the bad, and just to stand here today is such a prestigious award. The influence award for Hip-Hop, the contribution that we have did, you know, for Hip-Hop feels great.”
Salt added, “We’ve always been working hard and knowing that we were doing the darn thing. But to get this is, like, the cherry on top of the cake. This is incredible. We take ourselves being influencers very seriously.”
Spinderella acknowledged the uphill climb: “Oh, my God. I mean, this is the top of the line. But the work that’s been put in, the struggle was real. You don’t get to this point without suffering.”
Earlier in the evening their performance of the 1987 hit “Push It” drew cheers from the crowd. En Vogue joined them onstage alongside longtime producer Hurby Luv Bug Azor for a fresh take on the classic anthem. The group’s iconic choreography and pulsing beat reminded everyone of their influence on club culture and urban music.
Salt-N-Pepa’s journey began in 1985 with early singles that made waves on local radio. Through bold writing, savvy self-promotion and a commanding stage presence, they broke barriers for women in Hip-Hop. This recognition at the Hall of Fame adds to a legacy of chart successes and headline tours. The announced 2026 dates will reunite James, Denton and Roper as a full group onstage. Fans will witness how they continue to press for fair treatment in the music business.
