Megan Thee Stallion released her brand-new EP Suga on Thursday after winning a controversial legal dispute against her former record label and its CEO.
“I am no one’s property,” the artist wrote in a lengthy Instagram post on Thursday afternoon just hours ahead of Suga’s release.
The Hot Girl Summer rapper was referring to the legal dispute against her former record label, 1501 Certified Entertainment, and its CEO, Carl Crawford, in which she sought the termination of her artist contract and a temporary restraining order against them.
Megan Thee Stallion, whose real name is Megan Pete, said during an Instagram Live broadcast on Sunday that 1501 was trying to prevent her from releasing the project, explaining why she had sued the company.
The 25-year-old said the terms of her contract were not clear to her when she signed with the label, and when she asked to renegotiate her contract, she was reportedly barred from releasing new music.
However, after winning the legal battle, Suga dropped worldwide on March 6 at midnight, as previously promised by Megan Thee Stallion.
Suga features nine new songs, including the lead single, B.I.T.C.H., and serves as the followup to the musician’s debut album, Fever, which dropped last May.
The record is Megan Thee Stallion’s third EP overall and was released through her longtime distributor, 300 Entertainment, which 1501 reportedly took the “extraordinary step” of telling not to distribute.
On top of 1501 being denied an appeal to dissolve the lawsuit, Megan Thee Stallion’s request for a restraining order was granted. It will expire on March 16 at 11:59 p.m. and also reportedly prevents 1501 from threatening the artist on social media.
Celebrating the court win and the release of Suga, the rapper proceeded to take aim at Crawford, writing: “I will stand up for myself and won’t allow two men to bully me, I am no one’s property.”
In her post, Megan Thee Stallion concluded: “All the facts are public record available at the courthouse in Houston.”
In the lawsuit, Megan Thee Stallion sought monetary damages in excess of $1 million and asked for her contract to be declared null or terminated after she claimed she had been taken advantage of by 1501.
According to court documents obtained by E! News, the Freak Nasty rapper accused the defendants of breach of contract, common law fraud, fraudulent inducement, fraud by non-disclosure, tortious interference with prospective business relations, violation of the Deceptive Trade Practices Consumer Protection Act, negligent misrepresentation, breach of fiduciary duty and negligence.
As well as a share of her touring income, Megan Thee Stallions’s artist contract reportedly dictated that 1501 was entitled up to 60 per cent of her recording income. The remaining revenue was allocated to her, however she was reportedly expected to use her portion to pay featured artists, producers and sound engineers.
The suit claimed Megan Thee Stallion only signed to 1501 due to a series of “misrepresentations and omissions” after 1501 allegedly made “false representations” about the company before signing her.
Among them, 1501 reportedly alleged that a well-known music executive in Houston was a label “partner” when the individual was actually a third-party consultant, according to the lawsuit.
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As of this writing, 1501 has not released a statement in regards to the lawsuit and temporary restraining order.
Megan Thee Stallion’s attorneys, on the other hand, released a statement after the judge granted the temporary restraining order on Tuesday.
“We are very happy the court granted our TRO and thrilled that the world should be able to now hear Megan’s new music on Friday,” Megan Thee Stallion’s lawyer, Richard Busch, told E! News. “We will now proceed with the other claims set forth in the [lawsuit].”
A hearing for the request for temporary injunction is currently scheduled for next Friday, March 13.
Suga, along with its lead single, B.I.T.C.H., is now available through all major streaming platforms.
Additional updates and information can be found through the official Megan Thee Stallion website.
Full Suga tracklist:
Ain’t Equal
Savage
Captain Hook
Hit My Phone (ft. Kehlani)
B.I.T.C.H
Rich
Stop Playing (ft. Gunna)
Crying in the Car
What I Need
— With files from Katie Scott
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