Megan Thee Stallion is once again at odds with her label 1501 Certified Entertainment. On Tuesday (Aug. 24), the rapper filed new court documents saying that 1501 is blocking her from appearing on a remix of BTS’ Hot 100-topping hit “Butter” that’s supposed to drop this Friday, asking a Texas judge to step in and apply a previous ruling permitting her to release new music to this instance as well.
The documents claim that the “Savage” rapper, born Megan Pete, filed an emergency temporary restraining order (TRO) to allow the remix’s release after 1501 CEO, former Major League Baseball star Carl Crawford, and his partner, Rap-A-Lot founder J. Prince, refused to approve the track. In addition, the documents also claim that 300 Entertainment, which distributes Megan Thee Stallion’s music through 1501, co-signed 1501’s decision to block the forthcoming release.
Megan Thee Stallion claims if the “Butter (Remix)” isn’t able to come out, then her “art will be impacted, the release of the song derailed, and Pete’s goodwill, reputation, and overall career will suffer detrimental, undesirable, and irreversible harm,” according to the filing. It also states that preventing the release will have a “devastating impact to her relationships with her fans and with other recording artists in the music industry.”
Megan Thee Stallion’s first TRO filed against 1501 came in March 2020 after the rapper filed a lawsuit over unfair contract terms and claiming the label prohibited her from releasing new music. A judge ruled in her favor and ordered 1501 Entertainment “to do nothing to prevent the release, distribution, and sale of Pete’s new records,” along with forbidding any interference with her or her career over social media or through her collaborators or associates. That Megan Thee Stallion claims 1501 is again doing that, could cause trouble for the label if the judge sees it as disobeying the court’s order.
Crawford’s attempt to force Megan Thee Stallion’s lawsuit to arbitration was previous rejected, and in June sources close to the situation told Billboard that Megan Thee Stallion’s 12-count lawsuit against Crawford and 1501 was moving forward. Sources said then that Megan Thee Stallion was no longer trying to leave 1501, but a legal “dispute about the fairness of her contract” continues and she is still seeking better terms.
In Megan Thee Stallion’s original restraining order request, the rapper called her contract with 1501 “unconscionable,” claiming she was only paid $15,000 from the label after earning more than 1 billion streams and selling over 300,000 individual track downloads — which was combined worth an estimated $7 million. The contract — which was included in the lawsuit — shows under the 360-deal she signed with 1501, the label receives ownership of her master recordings, 60% of her net recording royalties, 50% of her publishing, 30% of her revenue from merchandising, sponsorships, and endorsements, and 30% of revenue from live performances and side artist engagements over $1,000.
Reps for 1501 Certified Entertainment, 300 Entertainment BTS did not respond to request for comment at time of publishing.
