Megan Thee Stallion sues label, claims they threatened and underpaid her

Megan Thee Stallion is seeking to get out of her record contract.

March 03, 2020
Megan Thee Stallion sues label, claims they threatened and underpaid her Renell Medrano / The FADER

After starting the #FREETHEESTALLION hashtag earlier this week, Megan Thee Stallion has sued record label 1501 Entertainment, climbing the label, which released her mixtape Fever, has withheld income from her, failed to provide financial transparency, misrepresented her contract during negotiations, and, when she attempted to fix these issues, blocked her from releasing new music. Court documents viewed by Pitchfork state that Megan is seeking release from her contract and $1 million in damages. In the interim, she has been granted a temporary restraining order against 1501 which entitles her to release new music.

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Per Pitchfork, Megan’s lawsuit, addressed to 1501 and CEO Carl Crawford, claims that the label is currently entitled to 50% of her publishing income, 30% of her touring income, 30% of her merchandising, and 30% of her passive income. In addition, they claim 60% of the income from her recordings, and require Megan herself to pay featured artists and other personnel out of her own money. Furthermore, Megan alleges that 1501 failed to register trademarks in Megan’s name, meaning that third parties have been able to profit off her name and intellectual property. Elsewhere in the lawsuit, Megan states she only signed with 1501 due to the label staff’s “misrepresentations and omissions” regarding the terms of the contract and 1501’s stature in the Houston scene.

Furthermore, Megan claims that 1501 staff, including Crawford, have sent her “direct and veiled threats,” and alleges that a leaked mugshot from when she was 19 was leaked by 1501 in order to tank her career. Due to the temporary restraining order, Megan is going forth with a release on March 6. In the interim, Megan and her lawyers will continue to pursue their lawsuit. Read our cover story on Megan Thee Stallion here.

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After starting the hashtag #FREETHEESTALLION earlier this week, Megan The Stallion has sued record label 1501 Entertainment, climbing the label, which released her mixtape Fever, has withheld income from her, failed to provide financial transparency, misrepresented her contract during negotiations, and, when she attempted to fix these issues, blocked her from releasing new music. Court documents viewed by Pitchfork state that Megan is seeking release from her contract and $1 million in damages. In the interim, she has been granted a temporary restraining order against 1501 which entitles her to release new music.

Per Pitchfork, Megan’s lawsuit, addressed to 1501 and CEO Carl Crawford, claims that the label is currently entitled to 50% of her publishing income, 30% of her touring income, 30% of her merchandising, and 30% of her passive income. In addition, they claim 60% of the income from her recordings, and require Megan herself to pay featured artists and other personnel out of her own money. Furthermore, Megan alleges that 1501 failed to register trademarks in Megan’s name, meaning that third parties have been able to profit off her name and intellectual property. Elsewhere in the lawsuit, Megan states she only signed with 1501 due to the label staff’s “misrepresentations and omissions” regarding the terms of the contract and 1501’s stature in the Houston scene.

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Furthermore, Megan claims that 1501 staff, including Crawford, have sent her “direct and veiled threats,” and alleges that a leaked mugshot from when she was 19 was leaked by 1501 in order to tank her career. Due to the temporary restraining order, Megan is going forth with a release on March 6. In the interim, Megan and her lawyers will continue to pursue their lawsuit. Read our 2019 cover story on Megan Thee Stallion here.

Megan Thee Stallion sues label, claims they threatened and underpaid her