Awards season can make or break an artist’s career, even one as established as Megan Thee Stallion—something the rapper evidently understands because she’s taking her label to court for getting in her way.
Megan (born Megan Pete) was recently granted a restraining order against her label, 1501 Certified Entertainment, and distributor, 300 Entertainment, after alleging that 1501 “unlawfully” attempted to “block or interfere with Pete exploiting, licensing, or publishing her music” in conjunction with the upcoming American Music Awards (airing November 20). Court documents obtained by Billboard claimed that Megan “will suffer irreparable harm if her music cannot be used in conjunction with her promotion for the AMAs.”
The documents do not go into detail about what 1501 allegedly did to block Megan from promoting her work, but it must have been serious as the court essentially granted her an emergency order “because there was not enough time to give notice to Defendants, hold a hearing, and issue a restraining order before the irreparable injury, loss, or damage would occur.”
This is just the latest installment in the rapper’s ongoing legal battle with 1501, which started back in 2020 when Megan alleged that the label’s founder had tricked her into signing a deal far below industry standards. This contract locked her into a three-album release, the definition of which became the subject of another lawsuit earlier this year. In August, Megan went to court yet again, this time over 1501’s alleged failure to pay the artist her due royalties.
While this latest legal victory must have been satisfying, Megan clearly has her eyes set on a slightly more fun trophy: Favorite Female Hip-Hop Artist at the AMAs. With a tight race that also includes Nicki Minaj and “WAP” collaborator Cardi B, the extra boost certainly can’t hurt.
The AMAs air Sunday, November 20.
