Megan Thee Stallion Plans to Drop New Album This Week, Label Attempts to Block Her Release
The Houston rapper took to Instagram Live to express her ongoing issues with her indie music label.
Megan Thee Stallion recently shared in her new Rolling Stone interview that she planned to release her latest project Suga on her mother’s birthday. Now, in a newly released video, she alleges that there are delays due to a disagreement with her label, 1501.
Back in 2018, 1501 Certified Entertainment signed Megan, it’s no secret that she is the strongest artist on their current roster. On Sunday, the Houston rapper aired out her feelings on the issue on Instagram Live. The video noted the fact that the two parties had a disagreement when she asked to negotiate her contract.
“I didn’t really know what was in my contract,” Megan said. “I was young, I think I was, like, twenty.” After sharing this, she expresses that when she signed to Roc Nation (the company manages her) for the first time she had lawyers ask her if she was aware of numerous stipulations in her 1501 contract.
“I wasn’t upset [with 1501], because I was thinking, ‘everybody cool, we all family, it’s cool, it’s nice…let me just ask [them] to renegotiate my contract’” she added. But upon asking to alter her contract she claimed "everything went left."
Megan whose real name is Megan Pete then shared that her independent label is stating that she can't release any new music. "So now they telling a bitch that she can’t drop no music. It’s really just a greedy game," she explained. She then goes on to throw a shot at 1501, “You mad because I don’t want to bow down, roll over like a little bitch, and you don’t want to renegotiate my contract.”
In the clip, she makes it clear that by signing to signing to an indie label, she felt she’d have a large degree of control of her career. Before the Instagram Live ended she added a few words of advice for young artists:
"Please, it might seem good, it might sound good, but you definitely got to read. Read all that shit. Don’t sign that without no lawyer…and get your own lawyer, with their own opinion."
Take a look at Megan’s Instagram Live video below.
A new TMZ report has emerged pointing to Megan filing a lawsuit against 1501 Certified Entertainment and its CEO Carl Crawford. The suit alleges that certain executives at the label are known for their "bullying and strong-arm tactics. "
A district judge in Harris County Texas has reportedly granted the Houston rapper a temporary restraining order, this will allow her to release new music. Previously Megan spoke about 1501 attempting to stop her from dropping unreleased tracks.
The TMZ report notes that Megan laid out the terms of her contract that she found outrageous. One detail in particular claims that 1501 receives 60% of her recording income, while the remaining 40% goes to her. Within that percentage, Megan still has to allot payment to engineers, mixers, and artists who are a part of the production of the songs.
Additionally, the suit points out that her "live gigs currently benefit the label more than her." Per the TMZ report, the contract granted all money from her touring and live performances be paid directly to 1501. Megan says the label is supposed to give her a "proper accounting of what she's owed." Yet, she claims what they've actually provided is incomplete, and "purposely and deceptively vague."
The call-out of Crawford, CEO of 1501 claims he's been using his relationship with Rap-a-Lot Records founder J. Prince to influence and intimidate people in the industry. The suit features Megan's claims that Crawford pressured a producer to give him beats, he also said Prince would be pissed. "Prince is notorious in the industry for strong-armed tactics, and the comment was taken as a physical threat of harm," TMZ reports the suit reads.
Megan reportedly received a $10,000 advance for signing to 1501. She's suing Crawford and 1501 for at least $1 million in damages. The temporary restraining order she was granted prevents 1501 Certified from attacking her on social media. This was previously an issue that she believes was directly from the label.
A Billboard report expands on the legal situation by sharing that the rapper is also seeking for a judge to declare her contract with the indie label as void. Pete has stated that even though she has more than a billion streams and sold more than 300, 000 individual track downloads — equaling $7 million in revenue — she has only received $15, 000 on behalf of 1501 Certified.
Richard Busch, The rapper's attorney shared the following statement with TMZ on the lawsuit:
"We are very happy the Court granted our TRO and thrilled that the world should be able to now hear Megan's new music on March 6. We will now proceed with the other claims set forth in the [lawsuit]."
The rapper shared via Twitter that new music was on the way. Take a look at her tweet below.
Following the release of the expansive interview with Carl Crawford, CEO of 1501 Certified Entertainment at Billboard, Megan Thee Stallion has announced the official release date for her upcoming project, SUGA. Set to arrive on March 6, the nine-track project will be equipped with features by Gunna and Kehlani.
We previously reported that a Texas judge issuing a temporary restraining order allowing Megan to new music. A newly released Complex report notes that Crawford has filed an emergency motion to dissolve the restraining order. This motion which was filed on Tuesday has not been ruled on by a judge.
Megan signed to 1501 in February of 2018 and she would later sign under Roc Nation's management in September 2019. The lawsuit the Houston rapper filed earlier this week requested the termination of her contract.
According to a source close to the situation, March 6 is the confirmed date for her latest project. Additionally, on January 23, 1501's attorney sent a letter to 300 Entertainment, Megan's distributor stating that the creation of the music was "in direct contravention of 1501's contractual rights." The letter also declared that 300 must "cease all activity" in regards to Megan's new music unless given permission by 1501. Letters with the same sentiment were sent to CAA, Live Nation and Puma demanding "full and complete accounting" of each of her deals and noting 1501's ability to "grant approval and permission" to her contracts and agreements.
The source has also shared that Pete plans to roll out SUGA despite the ongoing issues that could be looming ahead. This tracklist and cover art for the project confirms this move.
Complex obtained a copy of Megan Thee Stallion's original contract with 1501 and disputes Crawford's claim that she owns "parts of her masters." The contract says that 1501 "hereby is, the owner from inception of each Master Recording… [T]o the extent that ARTIST may be found to be the owner or author of any Master Recording, ARTIST hereby irrevocably assigns to COMPANY all of ARTIST’S rights in such Master Recording."
The contract also makes it clear that 1501 takes half of her publishing and is in control of managing it. The Complex report also lays out the fact that there's a clause noting that Megan can be fined "if she’s late to publicity sessions, recording sessions, or appearances."
According to the previously mentioned source, Megan hasn't been paying out 1501 money for numerous months, a claim that Crawford made in his explosive Billboard interview. They also shared that this is being done until Crawford and 1501 provides full accounting. "For two years, they've been collecting her money and she's hasn't been paid," the source close to the situation said. "They’re not paying her or submitting statements to her."
This article was originally published on March 2, 2020 and was updated the same evening.