Megan Thee Stallion files record label lawsuit over definition of “album”
Megan is involved in another legal dispute with her label
Megan Thee Stallion has filed a lawsuit against her record label, 1501 Certified Entertainment.
The musician claims that the label is trying to keep her locked into a contract by not acknowledging her recent release, ‘Something For Thee Hotties’ as an album.
Last week on February 18, Stallion, under her real name Megan Pete, filed a complaint in Harris County District Court where she is “seeking a declaration that her album, ‘Something For Thee Hotties’ constituted an ‘Album’ as defined in the parties’ recording agreement.”
According to the complaint, two months after the release of ‘Something For Thee Hotties’, the label informed Stallion that the work didn’t constitute an album under her recording contract.
In the filing, Stallion’s lawyers added: “1501’s new position, taken months after the album’s release, is clearly a ruse in an effort to try to take further advantage of Pete, at great expense and not in good faith.”
According to Stallion’s lawyers, the only requirement for something to be considered an album under her contract is that it must be longer than 45 minutes in length.
As noted in court documents, ‘Something For Thee Hotties’ – which includes previously released freestyles, her single ‘Thot Shit’ as well as unreleased archival tracks and skits – has a runtime of 45:02, and should therefore meet the definition of an album under the terms assigned by her label.
Stallion’s lawyers for the lawsuit told Billboard that they had informed her that ‘Something For Thee Hotties’ would not count towards her total ahead of its release.
Lawyer Steven M. Zager said: “She can’t just deliver us an album that we did not approve and then claim it satisfies her recording contract. It doesn’t, and the contract is pretty clear about that. I’ll be interested to hear what they have to say when they’re under oath.”
The lawsuit also acknowledges the long-standing issues Stallion has had with her label and the previous times which she has taken the label to court.
1501 CEO Carl Crawford has since shared on Instagram a headline about Stallion filing a request to dismiss a lawsuit against the label. “Now tell em to run my bread dating all the way back from 2018,” he wrote on the post.
Stallion responded in another post, saying this dated back to a previous claim which had since been settled.
“We are most definitely STILL IN COURT and YOU STILL GETTING SUED BC YOU OWE ME MONEY,” the rapper claimed in the caption of the now-deleted post. “I AINT NEVER BEEN PAID FROM 1501 IN MY LIFE,” she went on to allege.
Rolling Stone has reached out to representatives of Stallion and 1501 for comment.
Stallion is expected to release her next anticipated full-length in 2022, with live performances scheduled for this summer’s Reading & Leeds, Manchester’s Parklife and Longitude in Dublin.
She’ll make further appearances at Coachella, Barcelona’s Primavera Sound among other events.
Last year saw Stallion won three awards at the Grammys 2021: Best New Artist, Best Rap Performance (for ‘Savage’ featuring Beyoncé) and Best Rap Song (‘Savage’ featuring Beyoncé).