Photo Credit: Sebastian Pichler
Megan Thee Stallion has scored an early victory in her fight against 1501 Entertainment. A Texas judge has denied the label’s request to have her album Something for Thee Hotties to be declared not an album.
The rapper’s $1 million lawsuit against 1501 Entertainment can now proceed to trial. 1501 Entertainment filed a request for a partial summary judgment back in September. It argued that the court should bypass a trial entirely and rule the work was not an album under the terms of the rapper’s contract. One of the reasons cited was that it “failed to follow the proper approval procedures.”
In response to her label filing a motion for partial summary judgment, the rapper says her work with 300 Entertainment means the request should be rejected for the following reasons.
- “[Megan Thee Stallion] worked with 300 Entertainment pursuant to the Distribution Agreement to prepare Something for Thee Hotties for release.”
- “300 Entertainment kept 1501 apprised of developments related to Something for Thee Hotties for months prior to its release.”
- “[The rapper] delivered Something for Thee Hotties to 300 Entertainment in a commercially and technically satisfactory form in accordance with the Distribution Agreement.”
- “300 Entertainment promoted Something for Thee Hotties as [Megan Thee Stallion’s] upcoming album prior to its release.”
- “300 Entertainment provided 1501 with a link to Something for Thee Hotties at least three days prior to its release.”
- “1501 Entertainment asserted no objection to Something for the Hotties until two months after its release.”
- “Something for Thee Hotties meets the definition for album under both the Artist Agreement and Distribution Agreement.”
The motion asserts that Something for Thee Hotties satisfies the rapper’s ‘Minimum Recording Commitment’ for the second Option Period under her contracts and her latest album Traumazine satisfies her ‘Minimum Recording Commitment for the third and final Option period.
Megan Thee Stallion filed her lawsuit against 1501 in February 2022. The label then countersued her in March 2022. Now that a Texas judge has rejected the motion to declare the works ‘less than an album,’ the lawsuit can proceed to trial.