It’s raining wins in the fourth quarter of this year for Megan Thee Stallion. Fresh off her victory in the case against Tory Lanez, a judge in a separate case ruled on Wednesday that her label’s request that her hit album “Something for Thee Hotties,” be declared something less than an album per her contract. This additionally means that the rapper also known as Megan Pete’s million dollar lawsuit against 1501 Certified Entertainment can also move forward.
According to Rolling Stone Magazine, the label initially requested that the court bypass trial and rule outright that “Something for Thee Hotties” not be named as an album because of the fact that it includes previously available recordings, and that it purportedly “failed to follow the proper approval procedures.”
Pete replied to the motion on December 19th, asking for the opportunity to argue her case in court.
“Pete should be allowed her day in court to present evidence and testimony to the jury demonstrating that she has done all that was required of her in the delivery and release of her albums,” the response filing read.
The filing states that the skits and freestyles on the album because although some of them could be heard on YouTube, they were never available for the public to purchase.
“If there is any ambiguity around the term ‘previously-unreleased,’ it should be reserved as a question of fact for the jury,” the paperwork reads.
Pete also states that after 300 Entertainment reportedly purchased the exclusive rights to manufacture, distribute and sell her work, she began working with them to do just that. She further shares that the company “kept 1501 apprised of developments” prior to the album release, and provided 1501 with a link to the project. The filing claims that 1501 “asserted no objection” until two months after the album’s release.
In August, Pete’s complaint was amended to state that both “Something for Thee Hotties” and “Traumazine” “both constitute an ‘album’ as defined in the parties’ recording agreement,’ and therefore she “has satisfied all option periods” in the contract she signed back in 2018. She also changed the request for non-monetary compensation to one million dollars in damages.
Per filings reviewed by Rolling Stone, the relationship between 1501 Certified and Megan Thee Stallion began heading south after she hired Roc Nation on as her management. She soon learned that everything she had agreed upon within her contract with 1501 was not on par with industry standards.
“When I got with Roc Nation, I got management – real management – and real lawyers,” Pete said in a 2020 Twitter video. “They were like, ‘Do you know that this is in your contract?’ And I was like, ‘Oh, damn, that’s crazy. No, I didn’t know.’”
While Pete was granted a restraining order back in 2020 and reached a settlement agreement with 1501, she still had two albums to finish in order to fulfill her contractual obligations. With that behind her, the artist hopes to be granted the full million in an effort to make up for what she says are the missing royalty payouts she’s owed for her music.