Convicted shooter Tory Lanez, real name Daystar Peterson, recently released a two-minute long video promoting his first album, a full-length album recorded from the showers— I’m assuming because I have not been to prison, so I don’t know the real set up. Still, I imagine that’s where the acoustics are the best.
The first album of its kind, some bars behind bars, an alleged album recorded in prison. The best part of this terrible video, taken from the P. Diddy School of P.R., is of course the mentioning of religion and the victimization of the one who actually did the harm. Hip-Hop culture and even R&B (at least the artists) have always lent themselves to the objectification of Black women and more importantly, the perceived untouchable nature of its greatest provocateurs and entrepreneurs, and the support that Lanez has received even after being found guilty, is proof.
With that said, Tory Lanez is a criminal. I imagine if someone shot your family member in the foot, you would be livid if they were in prison trying to profit from the situation. Yet, somehow, Black women are always the cause of their own assaults and too many times, fans race to forget their morals but remember the lyrics. Women have consistently played a submissive role in the genre, so when one of the hottest rappers out (who just happens to be a woman) is injured, the ocean of public opinion parted in two—the people who didn’t care and mocked Megan the Stallion being shot and the people who were rightfully appalled at not only Daystar’s behavior, but that of his followers.
It could even be said that the fans of these artists are almost, if not just, as culpable in the harm as the artist.
Nigga think he Nelson Mandela, you shot an unarmed woman you bitch https://t.co/jrF04cxKBD
— miss andrist (@t_desrae) March 6, 2025
Outside of convicted murder, there have been no crimes committed against Black women by Black male artists that have not been excused or dismissed, and the only reason people aren’t championing murderers is because either no one has murdered, or no one has been convicted of it.
R. Kelly raped CHILDREN, whether they were big children or little CHILDREN, they were still CHILDREN. He even went so far as taking one of those CHILDREN as his bride. Yet, this summer, like many summers before, there will be some family reunion where CHILDREN are playing, the Pied Piper of R&B is playing in the background, and people are stepping in the name of LOVE without missing a beat. By the way, the Pied Piper, a name Robert often called himself, whose lore may or may not have been based on a real person, essentially kidnapped children through music, imagine that, imagine that.
Speaking of stepping in…Love, Sean “Diddy” Combs dragged his girlfriend Cassie Ventura down a hallway by her hair, while kicking and physically assaulting her, and people still found a way to blame her and/or justify his behavior and dismissing and being dismissive of the more than 100 alleged victims who filed suits. Not all those people are lying, if any of them are even lying at all.
Chris Brown has been accused of rape, stalking and domestic violence by multiple women—some with evidence—and he can still sell out an arena.
Chris Brown sells out a 94,000-capacity stadium in South Africa two nights in a row ???? pic.twitter.com/iTJCHTuw6F
— RNB RADAR (@RNB_RADAR) December 15, 2024
Sometimes nostalgia can be the death of healing; we hold on tightly to the things that feel good, but not necessarily are. Even so, shooting, raping and abusing Black women haa still found many Black male artists on the good side of history. So why wouldn’t Tory Lanez make an album? Why wouldn’t he go out of his way to remain relevant, when he knows there will still be people supporting his music, like LeBron (be nice to his son though, I’m being both serious and ironic)? I mean, with all the time he has on his hands, why not make an album before an apology. The only thing compulsory Lanez has to do, is serve his time and maybe move back to Ontario, but other than that, he will still be lovingly embraced when he gets out.
People will still bump his music in their cars on the way to taking their daughters to daycare, and DJs will still play him at the clubs where ladies drink free. In his promo the fun-sized Canadian, with teeth bigger than his commissary purse rapped, “I’m not a king pen, but I live like a king in the pen.”
Well, if you’re having such a good time, you should most definitely stay there.
