The order granted Pete the ability to release new music without retaliation or threats by social media from Crawford and 1501 Certified Entertainment. The temporary order expires on March 16, Pitchfork reported.
Surrounding the release of Suga and her music video for the single “B.I.T.C.H.” on March 6, Pete pursued a lawsuit against her label after she asked to renegotiate her contract. The rapper first explained in a live Instagram video that 1501 Certified Entertainment blocked her from releasing any new music due to her request because that was when “everything went left,” she said.
Prior to the release of her new music, Pete emphasized that if her music was not released, it would “have a devastating impact and cause irreparable injury” to her career, according to Billboard.
Pete also filed a suit on March 2 to terminate her contract. She sued 1501 Certified Entertainment for $1 million in damages and because she was not being paid properly. In Pete’s lawsuit, she claimed that her contract “dictates that 1501 is entitled to 60% of her recording income. The remaining 40% is reportedly allocated to Megan, however the suit claims that she must use that portion of revenue to pay featured artists, mixers, remixers, and engineers,” Pitchfork also reported.
Pete mentioned it was not her intention to cause conflict or confrontation. She hoped to renegotiate her contract and keep her label pleased. Nonetheless, Crawford has said that he was not aware of the Roc Nation deal until Pete announced it.
Crawford, a former Major League Baseball athlete, responded to Pete’s request by stopping the release of her music because he felt betrayed. When Pete signed over to Roc Nation, Crawford claimed that she did not continue to honor her contract.
“They tried to cut me completely out of the deal,” Crawford said when asked in an interview with Variety if Roc Nation tried to buy him out. “There wasn’t any negotiating, it was a straight strong-arm. Megan hasn’t honored her contact since she signed with Roc Nation. She hasn’t paid me one dime of what she owes me.”
Crawford expressed his thoughts on the initial filing of the lawsuit with an Instagram photo of him next to J. Prince, Rap-a-Lot Records founder and consultant to 1501. The photo’s caption read, “At a time when loyalty is at an all time low it’s nice to be link with @jprincerespect who is steady teaching me how to move in this cutthroat industry [100 emoji] And I know that terrifies some especially the ones who double cross me.” This caption was believed to be directed at Pete.
Fans went to social media to rally behind the rapper. The hashtags #FREEMEG, #FREEMEGAN and #FREETHEESTALLION were created to show their support in her quest to free herself and her music from 1501 Certified Entertainment’s control.
Since Pete’s court win, J. Prince has taken Crawford’s side. He referred to Roc Nation as “culture vultures” and thinks that Pete’s claims are lies, TMZ wrote.
Pete took to Instagram on March 5 to address Prince’s words. “To be clear, I will stand up for myself and won’t allow two men to bully me. This has nothing to do with anyone else including JAY-Z, stop deflecting and trying to make this a publicity stunt,” she wrote in the caption of a photo.
Thankful for the federal judge’s decision, fans enjoyed Pete’s EP and have contributed over 3.1 million views on the first day of the “B.I.T.C.H.” music video release. All nine tracks off Suga have appeared in the top 100 on U.S. Apple Music charts as well.
In a recent Hot 97 Breakfast Club interview, Pete said she is not allowed to speak much about the lawsuits, but she doesn’t want to be “treated like an object” or as “a slave.”
