Fame, money, scandal, Tory Lanez is the full Hollywood story. But how did he get here, and how did he end up in prison? In this article, we’ll dive deep into the rise and fall of superstar musician Tory Lanez and where his future lies.
Tory Lanez was born Daystar Shemuel Shua Peterson on July 27th, 1992, in Ontario, Canada. He lived in Montreal as a child but later moved to Miami, Florida. His mother, Luella, became ill when he was a child. Following his mother’s passing, his father, Sonstar Peterson, became an ordained minister, which caused the two to move frequently. His father remarried, and the pair settled in Atlanta, Georgia, where Lanez would his friend Hakeem. Hakeem would dub Daystar “Lanez” as a nod to his adventurous side, playing in the street, paying no mind to traffic.
Starting at 14, Lanez was sent to live in various places due to behavioral issues. After things fell through with his cousin and grandmother, Lanez was forced to live by himself at 15. He moved in with a group of men in downtown Toronto. “I was just fighting them. It was everyman for himself”. Tory says that the situation made him a man and taught him independence.
Career:
Tory would start performing again, under the alias Notorious, a callout to Notorious B.I.G. At 16, Tory dropped out of school and began performing in outdoor venues. In 2009, Lanez released his debut mixtape T.L. 2 T.O. Tory broke into the primary industry after Sean Kingston saw one of his self-published YouTube videos. Kingston contacted Tory while on tour with Justin Bieber, which ended with Lanez performing on said tour. In 2011, Lanez would sign to Kinston’s record label. Tory dropped three mixtapes under the label but later left to become an independent artist.
After releasing a variety of singles and mixtapes, Lanez began to break into mainstream popularity in 2015. In July 2015, Lanez released the first single off his debut album, “Say It.” Around this time, Lanez signed to Benny Blanco’s label Mad Love Records and Interscope Records. Lanez would feature on Jimmy Kimmel Live! And perform the single along with 90’s RnB group Brownstone, whom the song sampled. 2016 Lanez announced he would go on “The Level Up Tour” along with ASAP Ferg.
Lanez declined to be in the 2016 XXL Freshmen cover as he felt he was a caliber above the other featured artists.
In 2020, Lanez surprise-released his 5th studio album, “Daystar,” in which he defended himself against allegations that he shot artist Megan Thee Stallion. On July 12th, 2020, Lanez was arrested in Hollywood Hills after leaving a house party that had had an argument that resulted in violence. He was charged with carrying a concealed weapon in his vehicle. Rapped Megan Thee Stallion was present in the car and was initially reported to have “had a foot wound caused by the glass.” However, Megan later took to Instagram to issue a statement that she had suffered gunshot wounds in an act of violence meant to harm. While she did not name Lanez in the original post, she later accused him in an Instagram livestream. Megan’s lawyer has accused Lanez of launching a smear campaign against the artist to discredit her. However, Lanez was officially charged with felony counts of assault with a semiautomatic firearm, personal use of a firearm, and carrying a loaded, unregistered firearm in a vehicle. On August 8th, 2023, Lanez was convicted and is serving ten years in prison for the incident.
As he is currently behind bars, expecting any new music from Tory anytime soon would be unwise. However, this has not stopped him and his team from releasing “Alone at Prom DELUXE” in the past few months.