Megan Thee Stallion Wins Early In Legal Battle With 1501 Certified Entertainment
Photo Credit: Denise Truscello/Getty Images for iHeartRadio
On Wednesday, judge ruled that 2021 Megan Thee Stallion project Something For the Hotties does qualify as an album under her contract.
Megan Thee Stallion has scored another legal win to close out the year. On Wednesday (December 28), a Texas judge sided with the Grammy Award-winning rapper, rejecting a request from 1501 Certified Entertainment not to qualify Meg’s 2021 project Something For the Hotties as an album under her contract.
Megan Thee Stallion just won a round in her contract war w/ 1501 Certified Entertainment
The label wanted judge to rule “Something for Thee Hotties” doesn’t qualify as album under her contract, so 1 more still owed
Judge just DENIED the motion, so dispute proceeds to trial
— Nancy Dillon (@Nancy__Dillon) December 29, 2022
With the judge denying 1501’s motion in a one-page decision, Meg, whose legal name is Megan Pete, can take her $1 million lawsuit against the record label to trial. If successful, Pete will have fulfilled her deal and can be released from the label, owned by former professional baseball player Carl Crawford.
In September, 1501 filed a motion arguing that Something for the Hotties was not an “album” under Megan’s contract, requesting to forgo a trial to rule and rule that the project didn’t meet the definition of an album. According to the label, the project “failed to follow the proper approval procedures,” including previously recorded songs and skits.
Pete responded in December, arguing that she complied her contract and should have a chance to fight at trial. The artist, 27, also noted that the freestyles and skits on Something for the Hotties do not qualify as “previously-unreleased,” as they were never sold commercially.
“If there is any ambiguity around the term ‘previously-unreleased,’ it should be reserved as a question of fact for the jury,” her response reads.
Pete also claims that 300 Entertainment bought the exclusive distribution rights for her albums in 2018, but that 1501 was kept “apprised of developments” ahead of the project’s 2021 release. After 300 Entertainment gave the label a link to Something for the Hotties at least three days prior to its release, Pete claims that 1501 “asserted no objection” until the album had been out for two months.