A judge denied 1501 Certified Ent.'s request for a pre-trial ruling that 'Something for Thee Hotties' doesn't qualify as an album.
Megan Thee Stallion has scored an early victory in the legal battle with her label, 1501 Certified Entertainment. According to Rolling Stone, a Texas judge sided with the Houston rapper on Wednesday by denying the label's request that her 2021 album, Something for Thee Hotties, be declared something less than an album under her contract.
The label had filed its request on Sept. 14, arguing that Something for Thee Hotties shouldn't be ruled an "album" under the rapper's contract because it includes previously available recordings and allegedly "failed to follow the proper approval procedures." The request asked that the court bypass a trial completely.
Megan, born Megan Pete, replied to the motion on Dec. 19, arguing that she fully complied with the terms of her deal and deserved a chance to argue her case at trial.
The Harris County judge rejected the motion for the pre-trial ruling in a one-page decision, which means the GRAMMY winner's $1 million lawsuit against 1501 will proceed to trial intact.
Megan filed her underlying lawsuit against 1501, founded by former professional baseball player Carl Crawford, back on Feb. 18. The label filed a countersuit in March.
In August, the rapper filed a new amended complaint requesting $1 million in relief from the record label after her original lawsuit asked for non-monetary damage. In court documents obtained by People, Megan claims that her last two albums, Something for Thee Hotties and Traumazine, have fulfilled the requirements of her contract with 1501, which she has called "unconscionable."
"Over the past two (2) years, Pete and 1501 shared a long and tortured history of disputes with each other concerning Pete's recording agreement, including the unconscionability of the agreement in its original form, as well as disputes concerning the release of Pete's music," the complaint reads.
"The two have been able to resolve some of the disputes through the issuance of multiple temporary restraining orders against Defendants from this Court," Megan's attorneys added. "But a new dispute has arisen requiring further assistance from the Court."
"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 in bad faith," the complaint continued.
1501 attorney Steven M. Zager told People that the label is "evaluating" whether Megan's recently dropped Traumazine qualifies for album criteria, but stated that there is "no way" Something for Thee Hotties meets the definition of album outlined in her 1501 contract. Zager asserted that the rapper still owes the label "one more album, at least."
"For a host of reasons, we feel that our position is justified and based on the contracts. We've tried to work with Megan, and we want Megan to be successful," Zager concluded.
This is one of several legal battles Megan has waged against 1501. Last year, a judge ruled in the rapper's favor after she claimed that 1501 and CEO Carl Crawford were doing everything they could to stop her from putting out her remix with BTS, "Butter." Megan asked for emergency relief from the court to allow her new music to be released as previously scheduled, stressing the importance of dropping the track and how it would expand her international fan base.
In 2020, she sued 1501 for allegedly preventing her from releasing her EP, Suga, and was granted a temporary restraining order. Although the legal proceedings are ongoing, she remains under contract with 1501, with recordings continuing to be distributed by 300 Entertainment.
More recently, Megan was granted a temporary restraining order from her label after she "provided evidence" that 1501 "recently engaged and will continue to engage in threatening and retaliatory behavior that will irreparably harm" her music career.
The "Savage" rapper successfully claimed 1501 "unlawfully" took steps "to block or interfere with Pete exploiting, licensing, or publishing her music" in the lead-up to this year's American Music Awards.
Megan's legal victory comes on the heels of an even bigger win in court. On Dec. 23, Tory Lanez was convicted of shooting her in the feet two years after the 29-year-old accused him of assaulting her after a pool party at the home of Kylie Jenner in July 2020.
Lanez -- born Daystar Peterson -- was found guilty of all three charges: assault with a semiautomatic firearm, discharging a firearm with gross negligence and carrying a loaded unregistered firearm in a vehicle. He faces more than 22 years and eight months in federal prison, as well as deportation to Canada. His sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 23.
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