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On June 3, 2025, Carl Crawford, the CEO of record label 1501 Certified ENT, gave a shoutout to rapper Megan Thee Stallion, real name Megan Pete, for their past professional collaboration. In a reel posted on Instagram, he showed off her new plaques and praised the Mamushi artist.
“GOD IS GOOD. Shoutout to Megan Thee Stallion. We had a little rough patch, but real ones always push through. Just got my new @riaa_awards plaques in… it’s a blessing to keep growing and keep building,” Crawford wrote in the caption.
He said he was grateful for the journey and the lessons, and ended by saying he couldn’t wait to hang the plaques in his new studio.
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This came nearly two years after Megan Thee Stallion settled a lawsuit regarding a contract dispute with her former record label, 1501 Certified ENT, also called 1501 Entertainment.
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Originally, the rapper filed a civil suit in March 2020, accusing the record collective of an “unconscionable” record deal. In February 2022, she updated her lawsuit with additional accusations that 1501 Certified ENT was trying to hold back her record deal, following the release of her album, Something for Thee Hotties.
Later, in October 2023, both parties resolved their “legal differences” and “agreed to amicably part ways,” as per Carl Crawford’s statement to USA TODAY.
Exploring further Megan Thee Stallion’s lawsuit with Carl Crawford’s record label
In early 2020, Megan Thee Stallion sued 1501 Certified ENT, accusing them of trying to prevent her from releasing new music. Back then, she shared via Instagram Live that she “didn’t really know what was in [her] contract” when she first signed it.
"I was young. I think I was like 20, and I ain't know everything that was in my contract," Megan stated.
At the time, Carl Crawford denied the accusation and fought back against her restraining order. Amid the legal battle, the rapper dropped her project Free As Suga, following which 1501 filed an emergency motion to stop the release. However, the court denied it.
In October 2020, Crawford reportedly asked to settle the contractual dispute. Later, in February 2022, the Savage rapper filed another lawsuit claiming the record label was trying to detain her despite the release of her mixtape, Something for Thee Hotties.
While Megan Thee Stallion claimed it fulfilled her three-album contract, 1501 Certified ENT countersued, claiming it wasn’t an album but a 29-minute project. They also accusing the artist of repeatedly breaching her contracts.
The following month, the Grammy winner called Carl Crawford “greedy” on social media and called 1501 a “joke a*s label.”
In August of the same year, the rapper $1 million in damages from her record collective, claiming that her latest project, Traumazine, had completed the contract.
In February 2023, Carl Crawford expressed his regrets over the beef with Megan Thee Stallion and the ongoing legal dispute. Finally, in October, they settled the long-drawn court battle.
At the time, the BBC reported that the parties involved "mutually reached a confidential settlement to resolve their legal differences". Carl Crawford told BBC Newsbeat that he and his company wished the artist “the very best in her life and career.”
"May this moment be a valuable lesson on the importance of reconciliation for the prosperity of hip-hop and pop culture. I'm honored to have worked with Megan and to be a part of her discovery as an artist. I wish Megan all the best in all of her future endeavors," Crawford told USA TODAY.
Since parting ways with Houston-based 1501 Entertainment, Megan Thee Stallion has been an independent artist releasing through her own Hot Girl Productions. However, in February 2024, she signed a distribution deal with Warner Music Group.
More about Carl Crawford’s latest remarks about Megan Thee Stallion
In his latest Instagram post showing off new plaques, Carl Crawford apologized to Megan Thee Stallion for the “rough patch” between them. She hasn’t responded yet.
Some people pointed out that the plaques feature her music that wasn’t released under his label. Carl replied on Instagram Stories, saying that while it may not be his work, he paid for it.
“This wasn’t my work… I tell you what it was. It was my money and everybody knows it takes money... $2 million to be exact,” Crawford said.
Previously, in March 2025, he told Audiomack co-founder and hip-hop veteran Brian Zisook about his legal differences with Megan.
"I went from being seen as a hard-working athlete to the villain in music overnight," Carl stated.
He also mentioned that the fallout and its consequences taught him how to run his record label better, adding, "I don’t let anyone control what I’m doing anymore," he said.
Carl Crawford founded 1501 Certified ENT in 2016 and invested $6 million. The collective has recently signed MC Luh Ceo, an up-and-coming 19-year-old Mississippi rapper.
