Megan Thee Stallion‘s estranged label boss Carl Crawford, the CEO of 1501 Certified Entertainment has some thoughts on her legal battle with Tory Lanez.
On Saturday (December 17), Crawford reposted a HipHopDX story reporting on the connection between 1501 Certified and Kelsey Harris, who has emerged as the star witness in the high profile court case, which started on Monday (December 12).
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Harris made headlines last week when her testimony, originally expected to corroborate Megan Thee Stallion’s accounts of the fateful night of the August 2020 shooting, ended up contradicting a previous statement she made to prosecutors in September of this year.
On Thursday night (December 15), just hours after Kelsey Harris’ second day of testimony in the Tory Lanez trial, a tweet began gaining traction detailing her ties to Carl Crawford’s 1501 Certified Entertainment, and speculating that it may have factored in Harris’ change of accounts.
Carl Crawford shared the DX article with a caption insinuating that the PR team for Megan Thee Stallion — with whom he has been embroiled in a separate legal battle — was responsible for planting the story. “So i’m guessing things aint going to well in court so now its time to blame 1501 [face palm emoji] #MorePRstunts,” he wrote.
The original DX post included quotes from Twitter users @KirkWrites79 and @Stall1on, who both evoked Kelsey Harris’ marriage to 1501 Certified exec Darien “D Boy” Smith as a potential explanation for the changed testimony.
“I think it’s important to note and could further explain Kelsey’s reluctance and bad memory on the stand…,” @KirkWrites79 speculated. “Kelsey’s husband works for 1501, with Carl and J. Prince and is currently Erica Banks‘ manager. The very same label that has been at legal odds with Meg.”
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The other Twitter thread made the accusation a little more overtly: “Here’s the reason why Kelsey is throwing this trial..,” @Stall1on tweeted. “She’s currently engaged and mothering the child of a 1501 Label Certified Executive….YES the same Label that is actively in a lawsuit against Megan Thee Stallion…. Sad how they’re trying to sabotage This woman’s career.”
In later posts in the thread, @Stall1on clarified that Harris and the 1501 Certified executive in question are in fact married, and explained what they believe the connection to be. “And for all of you tweeting about irrelevance.. KELSEY IS OBVIOUSLY A CONFLICT OF INTEREST and could very much have a hidden agenda,” the subsequent tweet read.
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HipHopDX has reached out to Carl Crawford for further comment about the rumors.
While she remains signed to 1501 Certified Entertainment, Megan Thee Stallion has had recurring issues with her label over the years, taking to Instagram in 2020 to ridicule them for not allowing her to release new music and for refusing to renegotiate her contract. She then sued them later in 2020, demanding her contract be terminated.
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A judge granted her a temporary restraining order so she could release her project Suga, but she sued 1501 again in 2021 after they tried to prevent the release of her featured verse on BTS’s “Butter” remix. A judge granted her an injunction so the track could be released.
Following the release of her second studio album Traumazine, Megan Thee Stallion amended a new lawsuit against 1501 Ent. label and requested that a Texas judge rule the LP to be the final obligation to satisfy her deal with 1501 and free her from her tumultuous relationship with the label and its boss Carl Crawford.
However, a previously-filed countersuit by the label maintains that the 2021 project Something For The Hottiesis a compilation of old material that was not pre-approved by 1501 Certified and therefore does not count towards her contractual album release allegations.
The indie label is also still pursuing its a separate lawsuit against Megan Thee Stallion, claiming it’s owed millions of dollars as part of their 2018 contract stipulating that the Houston imprint would recoup 30 percent of her touring and merchandising profits.
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The legal drama between Megan Thee Stallion and 1501 Certified Entertainment took another turn in November, when the Houston rapper (real name Megan Pete) was granted a restraining order against the label, along with her distributor 300 Entertainment, over claims they took steps “to block or interfere with Pete exploiting, licensing, or publishing her music” in the run-up to the American Music Awards.
According to Rolling Stone 1501 Certified Entertainment’s legal representative Steven Zager has stated that the civil case between his client and Megan Thee Stallion will likely not go to court until Summer 2023.
