For a minute, it looked like rap fans might not get another summer where Megan Thee Stallion reigned supreme. Over the weekend, the rapper revealed she was unable to renegotiate her contract with 1501 Certified Entertainment—a label she signed to when she was 20—and that the conflict has been preventing her from releasing new music. On Monday, the Houston rapper filed a lawsuit against 1501, helmed by Carl Crawford, aiming to resolve the matter so that she can release new music as early as Friday.
The Houston rapper is suing Crawford and 1501 Certified for $1 million, a major step up from the $10,000 advance she says she received upon signing the deal five years ago. The suit, which was obtained by TMZ, claims the rapper is tied up in an exploitative contract, which according to Megan, stipulates that the label receives 60 percent of her earnings, leaving her to front the bill herself for features and sound engineers using the other 40 percent. The Houston rapper also claims her earnings from her live shows and tours are being paid straight to the label, and that when she has asked the label to provide documents for what she’s owed, it is “purposefully and deceptively vague.”
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Now, a Harris County district judge has granted the rapper a restraining order against Crawford and the label, which means Megan can release music after all.
In the last year, Megan Thee Stallion has worked tirelessly to become a household name. Aside from demonstrating her rap prowess on mixtapes like Tina Snow and Fever, and creating the inescapable “hot girl summer” catchphrase that brands couldn’t wait to use in their marketing—without paying her—the Houston rapper has undoubtedly earned the right to be paid what she deserves.
Kristin Corry is a staff writer for VICE.
