Sophia Michaels
Megan Thee Stallion is among the nominees for “Favorite Female Hip-Hop Artist” at the American Music Awards this weekend, but a lengthy battle with her label 1501 Certified Entertainment has turned things sour.
The “Plan B” rapper, born Megan Pete, was granted a restraining order against 1501 and her distributor 300 Entertainment, according to documents obtained by Billboard. The document claims that the label “unlawfully” took steps “to block or interfere with Pete exploiting, licensing, or publishing her music” leading up to the AMAs on Sunday, Nov. 20. The court order states that she “provided evidence” that the label “recently engaged and will continue to engage in threatening and retaliatory behavior that will irreparably harm” her music career.
While the document does not provide information on what steps 1501 or 300 took to interfere with the AMAs broadcast, the court states that it filed an ex parte order, which is granted for the benefit of one party without waiting for the other party to be heard. The order details that because AMAs voting ends on Nov. 14, Megan “will suffer irreparable harm if her music cannot be used in conjunction with her promotion for the AMAs.”
Her label and any parties acting “in concert or participation with” them are prohibited from “preventing or blocking the use and exploitation” of Megan’s music for the AMAs, according to the order. There is a hearing set on Nov. 22 for the rapper’s ongoing restraining order request.
Megan has been locked in a complex legal battle with 1501 dating back to March 2020. The artist has been public about her efforts to free herself from the allegedly burdensome contract she signed with the independent label owned by ex-professional baseball player Carl Crawford when she was an up-and-coming rapper.
In February, Megan filed a lawsuit against 1501 for a minimum of $1 million in damages and claimed the label refused to fork over her share of the royalties from her music. The rapper stated that her album Traumazine fulfilled the quota of her “unconscionable” record deal with 1501 Certified Entertainment, and sought the help of a Texas court to step in and end her “tortured” relationship with the Houston label.
