Rapper alleges 1501 Entertainment is trying to recategorize her Something For Thee Hotties as less than an “album” so it doesn’t count against her contract quota
Nancy Dillon
Feb 23, 2022
Evan Agostini/Invision image:
Megan Thee Stallion got in a heated war of words with her Houston record label Tuesday, dropping new allegations that the company — which the rapper recently filed a lawsuit against for the second time in her career — is pulling an “unlawful” stunt to “chain” her to a contract she considers “unconscionable.”
In a series of comments on social media, the “Thot Shit” hitmaker blasted 1501 Entertainment boss Carl Crawford after he took to Instagram Tuesday morning to tout the dismissal of a 2020 legal beef with the rapper, while failing to mention her Friday complaint filed in Texas state court.
Friday’s lawsuit, obtained by Rolling Stone, alleges 1501 is attempting to recategorize Megan’s 45-minute Something For Thee Hotties release last October as something less than an “album” so it doesn’t count against her contract quota with the label.
“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 [Megan], at great expense and not in good faith,” the new lawsuit states.
Crawford’s failure to mention the new lawsuit when gloating about older developments in the 2020 legal war was too much for Megan to ignore.
“YOU STILL GETTING SUED BC YOU OWE ME MONEY!!! I AINT NEVER BEEN PAID FROM 1501 IN MY LIFE!” she wrote in one lengthy response Tuesday.
“This mf got my accomplishments in that bio and aint contributed to shit SINCE 2018… NOT STUDIO TIME, NOT A MUSIC VIDEO NOT A WORD OF ENCOURAGEMENT, shit not even a flight !!! But you trying to eat off me AND PICK WITH ME ONLINE,” she wrote in another.
Crawford and his lawyer, Steven M. Zager, did not immediately return Rolling Stone‘s requests for comment.
In her new lawsuit, Megan claims that the only requirement listed for an “album” under her 2018 contract was that it be “not less than 45 minutes in length.” Something For Thee Hotties — which is mix of new tracks recorded in 2021, as well as previously unreleased tracks and skits — has a run time of 45 minutes and 2 seconds, so, according to the lawsuit, it more than qualifies as an album under the contract.
“In every respect, Something For Thee Hotties constituted an ‘album’ and met her ‘minimum recording commitment’ for 1501’s second option period under the contract,” the lawsuit states.
In a section of the lawsuit titled, “1501’s Unlawful Attempt to Chain [Megan] Down to 1501 for Additional Albums,” the filing alleges that 1501 “sent a letter out of the blue” on Jan. 5, 2022, asserting that the album “did not constitute an ‘album’ under the parties agreement.” It adds: “Given that 1501 waited more than two months after (Megan’s) release of the album ‘Something For Thee Hotties’ to take this position, it is clear that its position is frivolous and has no basis in law or fact.”
“1501 wants to tie (Megan) down to release more albums under the contract to the financial benefit of 1501,” the lawsuit states. “This is inconsistent with the contract terms, which are clear and unambiguous. Accordingly, (Megan) seeks a declaratory judgment that, among other things, declares that her album, Something For Thee Hotties, constitutes an ‘album’ under the terms of the contract.”
In a video posted to Instagram in early 2020, the rapper said that her subsequent affiliation with Roc Nation helped her understand how one-sided her original deal with 1501 was. The rapper claimed that 1501 Entertainment awarded itself 60 percent of her recording income, 30 percent of her touring income, and 30 percent of the money she made off merchandise.
Megan renegotiated her deal with 1501 last year after she sued in 2020 and won a restraining order against 1501 and Crawford that barred them from preventing the release of her music.
From Rolling Stone US.