The GRAMMY Award winner claims her last two albums fulfill the requirements of her contract, which she's called 'unconscionable.'
Megan Thee Stallion is taking another step to put her professional relationship with 1501 Certified Entertainment behind her.
In court documents obtained by People, the 27-year-old's attorneys requested $1 million in relief from the record label, with whom she has previously had legal issues regarding music releases. The rapper -- who goes by her legal name Megan Pete in the filing -- 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."
According to the filing, 1501 is arguing that Something for Thee Hotties does not meet the definition of an "album" and thus, "does not satisfy her 'Minimum Recording Commitment.'"
"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 the third suit Megan has filed 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 this week 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.
Megan is also in the midst of her legal battle against rapper Tory Lanez. In April, Tory was taken into custody for allegedly violating the terms of a pre-trial protective order. L.A. County Superior Court Judge David Herriford agreed with prosecutors that some of Lanez's recent social media posts appeared to be messages directed at Megan. The judge ordered that Lanez no longer make any public mention of the case or the victim.
Lanez was charged with felony assault last year for allegedly shooting Megan in the foot. Tory pleaded not guilty to the charges and has previously said that "the truth will come out." The case is set to go to trial in September.
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