Megan Thee Stallion has scored an early victory in her bitter legal battle with her label, 1501 Certified Entertainment.
According to Rolling Stone, a Texas judge sided with the Houston rap star on Wednesday (December 28) by rejecting 1501’s request to rule that her 2021 project Something For Thee Hotties doesn’t qualify as an album under her contract.
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The judge denied the motion for the pre-trial ruling in a one-page decision, meaning Megan’s $1 million lawsuit against the label can go to trial. If successful, the “Savage” rapper will have fulfilled her deal and be granted her sought-after release from the label.
1501, founded by former professional baseball player Carl Crawford, had filed its request in September, urging the court to forego a trial and declare that Something For Thee Hotties doesn’t meet the legal criteria of an “album.”
It argued the 45-minute project included material that was previously made available and “failed to follow the proper approval procedures.”
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In her response filed on December 19, Megan Thee Stallion claimed she fully complied with the terms of her deal when recording and releasing Something For Thee Hotties and deserved to argue her case at trial.
The 27-year-old argued the freestyles and skits included on the album don’t count as previously released material because they were never commercially distributed to the public.
She also claimed that 300 Entertainment, who she struck a distribution deal with in 2018, “kept 1501 apprised of developments” in the months leading up to the album’s release and even provided 1501 with a copy of the project at least three days before its arrival.
Meg pointed out that 1501 “asserted no objection” until two months after the album’s October 2021 release.
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Megan Thee Stallion filed the underlying lawsuit in February, “seeking a declaration that her album Something For Thee Hotties constituted an ‘album’ as defined in the parties’ recording agreement,” which was signed prior to her mainstream breakthrough in 2018.
1501 countersued the following month, claiming Megan was is in breach of contract and owes the label “many millions” in royalties on non-recording revenue from various collaborations, sponsorships, endorsements and side engagements.
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Following the release of her Traumazine album in August, Megan her amended her original complaint to include that project, asking a judge to rule that she “has satisfied all option periods” in her contract. She also upped the ante by asking for at least $1 million in damages.
The dispute dates back to March 2020, when Megan first sued 1501 claiming they were blocking her from releasing music while refusing to terminate or renegotiate a contract she called “entirely unconscionable.”
The terms of the deal were flagged by Roc Nation, Megan’s management company, who made the rapper aware that 1501 were receiving 60 percent of the profits, rather than the industry standard of 50-50.
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Megan Thee Stallion’s legal victory comes on the heels of an even bigger win in court. Last week, Tory Lanez was convicted of shooting her in the feet during a drunken dispute in July 2020, bringing closure to a lengthy and “torturous” ordeal for the Houston Hottie.
After a high-profile 10-day trial in Los Angeles, a jury found Tory guilty on all three counts: assault with a semiautomatic firearm, carrying a loaded unregistered firearm in a vehicle, and discharge of a firearm with gross negligence.
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The Toronto-born rapper faces up to 22 years and eight months in federal prison, as well as deportation to Canada. He is due to be sentenced next month.
