Does trouble follow Tory Lanez wherever he goes, or is he the drama? That’s the burning question now that the legal system has stepped in. We’re kicking off the new year with a deep dive into the Canadian artist’s past. After combing through years of information, we’ve found a history of lawlessness and questionable behavior. Judging by the title, you already know this is about to be a hot mess.
To understand why Tory Lanez is a walking red flag, we need to go back to his childhood. Born Daystar Peterson on July 27, 1992, Tory is a Leo. While his zodiac sign might not matter, we love including these little details for our viewers who enjoy them.
Tory has said that his birth name means “a revolutionary light of progression for the generation.” He told Respect Magazine, “Based on the diverse talents that I’ve been given, I see it as I can either use these and be extremely good for the world, or I can use these powers and be extremely negative.”
Tory was born in Toronto and moved to Montreal when he was about four or five. His family later relocated to South Florida, where his father worked as a missionary pastor. When Tory was 11, his mother passed away from complications related to anemia, and his father quickly remarried. This set Tory on a bumpy journey across the U.S. The family moved to Atlanta, and because of his habit of running through traffic, a janitor gave him the nickname “Lanes.”
After moving to New York, Tory wanted people to call him “Notorious,” but it didn’t catch on because he wasn’t Biggie Smalls. So, he settled on “Tory.” Later, he combined his two nicknames and became “Tory Lanez.” When he was 14, he moved back to Canada, where he was raised by his older brothers. Eventually, he moved in with his grandmother in Brampton, a Toronto suburb, but she kicked him out, leaving him homeless for a while.
Losing his mom made him act out in ways his family didn’t expect. He told Spin Magazine that he would often tell his family members, “You’re not my mom; you can’t tell me what to do.” His behavior got him expelled from about 20 different schools. He also ran into trouble with the law, and at 16, he was facing four undisclosed charges.
After a court appearance, the 16-year-old Tory went to a nearby mall and robbed an older woman working at a jewelry store. He told Spin Magazine, “I was so broke and frustrated with my life. But to this day, I can’t forget the expression on her face.”
To sum it up, Tory was already facing charges, but instead of staying out of trouble, he kept up his disruptive behavior. It seemed like he couldn’t see how his actions would lead to more consequences, and this pattern continued throughout his life.
After robbing the woman, Tory had a realization. It opened up a new path for him to cope with his rebellious nature: rap music. He quit school and, after getting fired from his job at Denny’s, decided he would never work a regular job again. He told iHeartRadio that he wanted to make himself as unemployable as possible by getting a big tattoo on his neck. From that point on, it was music or nothing.
He was young, broke, and often had nothing to eat, but he thrived on the creative energy that surged through him. Days and nights blurred together as he spent countless hours writing music, sometimes skipping sleep altogether. Tory shared with Respect Magazine that, despite being a child of God, he felt an undeniable pull toward creating “devilish music,” sparking an internal conflict. He coined the term “swavy” to describe his unique blend of hip-hop and R&B infused with various other genres. In 2009, he recorded his first mixtape, “TL2TO.”
The following year, a video emerged of fellow Canadian artist Justin Bieber freestyling in a recording booth. While some praised Justin’s lyrical abilities, others quickly recognized that the lyrics were actually from Tory’s song “Beamer, Benz, or Bentley.” The backlash led 16-year-old Justin to reach out to 18-year-old Tory, with Justin’s friend and collaborator, Sean Kingston, joining the call.
This phone call resulted in Tory signing with Sean’s label, Time Is Money, which eventually became defunct. The media soon labeled Tory as Justin’s new hip-hop coach. For three years, Tory toured with Sean and Justin, wrote songs for other artists, clashed with Drake, and built industry connections. However, the deal eventually fell through. After overstaying his U.S. visa, Tory was banned from America for about seven months. Back in Toronto, isolated from his contacts, he realized how harsh the music industry could be. He told The Fader, “Everybody switched on me. All the artists I knew that were hot, that I came up with, they stopped answering my calls.”
Undeterred, Tory continued to hustle by building an online following, releasing new music, and producing his own music videos. As an independent artist, he assembled a team that connected him with other musicians, including Meek Mill and YG. He eventually signed with Benny Blanco’s Mad Love Records and released his 2016 debut studio album “I Told You,” which featured the hit song “Say It.” The self-proclaimed underdog was back in the spotlight, receiving the attention he felt he deserved. Yet, despite his career’s positive developments, chaos was just around the corner.
Headline: Tory Lanez’s Wild Ride: From Inciting Chaos to Personal Highs and Lows
In 2016, during a performance in Texas, Tory Lanez made headlines when a security guard’s video captured him crowd surfing and standing on top of his fans. Things took a turn when Tory started yelling obscenities at the security guards and inciting the crowd by shouting, “Let’s f*** this place up.” The fans followed his lead, causing chaos by throwing chairs, bottles, and tables. The concert had to be shut down, police were called, and multiple arrests were made. Although Tory was accused of inciting a riot, he was not arrested. Promoters and venue owners considered taking legal action against him, but nothing came of it.
On April 12, 2017, Tory experienced a life-changing moment when he welcomed his son Kai with an unidentified woman. However, the joyous occasion quickly turned sour when, as he drove out of the hospital parking lot in Miramar, Florida, he was pulled over by the police. They discovered that his car had an expired dealer tag, and he lacked valid registration, a driver’s license, and proof of insurance. A search of the vehicle revealed 20 grams of marijuana and a concealed weapon. Tory was arrested and later reflected on the incident, saying, “That’s something special about the day my son was born. I’ll always remember it.”
Tory’s troubles weren’t limited to the law. He often reacted strongly to criticism or confrontation. When Joe Budden and his podcast crew questioned the state of his career, Tory responded during an appearance on The Breakfast Club, defending his success in both singing and rapping and expressing frustration at being undermined.
A collaboration with Nicki Minaj on his 2018 song “Shooters” fell apart after Tory’s feedback on her verse came across as arrogant. Offended, Nicki requested her verse be removed from the song, costing Tory a significant opportunity to reach her fanbase.
In the same month, a video surfaced of Travis Scott confronting Tory backstage at a festival. Although Travis tried to keep things calm, Tory escalated the situation, challenging Travis to a fight. While Tory later claimed the issue was resolved, the incident only fueled his reputation as a hothead.
Tory also faced accusations of copying other artists’ styles and had public feuds with several entertainers, including Joyner Lucas, J.R. Smith, Royce da 5’9″, Rick Ross, and Love & Hip Hop Miami star Christopher “Prince” Hardy, who accused Tory of punching him in a Miami nightclub in November 2019.
By April 2020, while most were practicing social distancing, Tory and Megan Thee Stallion were seen enjoying time together. The following month, hip-hop groupie Selena Powell was outside Tory’s Miami condo when his rumored fling Kailyn Garcia, Joe Budden’s ex-girlfriend, arrived. The two women got into a physical altercation, and Tory and Kailyn reportedly sped off in his Bentley. Selena later claimed that Tory had issues with her after she mocked his hairline on Instagram. In the incident, Kailyn was listed as a suspect, with Tory only a witness.
In July 2020, just two months after his last bit of drama, Tory Lanez was in the spotlight again when he was accused of shooting Megan Thee Stallion in the foot after a heated argument. A detective later said that Tory apologized and supposedly offered Megan money to stay quiet, mentioning that he was already on probation for another crime at the time.
While all that was still being sorted out, Tory got into another mess in May 2021 at a nightclub in South Beach. This time, it was with Christopher “Prince” Hardy. Christopher told TMZ that Tory reignited their old beef by punching him in the face. Tory, though, denied it ever happened. Christopher had already sued Tory for their first fight and was thinking about suing him again. As of now, it’s unclear if he actually did.
Jump ahead to September 2022, and Tory was backstage at a Chicago venue for the Fall Back in Love Comedy and Music Jam tour when he ran into fellow performer August Alsina. In a video that surfaced, Tory tries to shake August’s hand, but August just walks right past him, leaving Tory looking pretty awkward. After being publicly snubbed, Tory and his security team reportedly chased down August and beat him up. August later posted a photo of his injuries on Instagram, calling Tory a “four-feet-11-inch-sized leprechaun.”
So, why did August avoid Tory in the first place? A few months before their encounter, Tory appeared on the remix of Lil Baby and 42 Dugg’s song “We Paid.” In his verse, Tory took a jab at August, rapping, “Let me start on Jada, I ain’t gonna snitch like August,” referencing August’s entanglement with Jada Pinkett Smith.
When August addressed the attack on Instagram, he said that Tory, accompanied by eight security guards, approached him, and he tried to have a civil conversation. August explained to Tory that he didn’t appreciate the way Tory spoke about his personal life, although he was still a fan of Tory’s music. August also mentioned that, due to his health issues, he was advised to keep his distance and avoid shaking hands. Despite speaking calmly and respectfully, August claimed Tory acted erratically, allegedly under the influence of a substance laced with white powder. August ended his post by saying, “Dude has no real friends and is on a crash-out mission.” As a result, Tory was kicked off the tour for his actions.
Tory’s troublesome behavior didn’t start recently. Remember when he was a teenager facing multiple charges and still went out and robbed a jewelry store? That same reckless behavior followed him into adulthood. Even while facing charges for the incident with Megan, he allegedly didn’t hesitate to put his hands on August. It seemed like Tory was acting as if he had nothing to lose, but the court wasn’t having it. Two months later, a judge placed him under house arrest until the trial involving Megan was underway. According to TMZ, the court’s decision was based on Tory violating his bail conditions by getting into the altercation with August. Even though August didn’t press charges, prosecutors argued that Tory posed a threat to public safety.
And the troubles didn’t stop there. In October 2022, a woman filed a case against Tory over a New Year’s Day 2021 incident in Miami, where he allegedly sideswiped her car and fled the scene. The woman was four months pregnant at the time, according to TMZ. The criminal case involving Megan kicked off with Tory pleading not guilty to all three charges, claiming he wasn’t the shooter. During the trial, jurors heard from various witnesses, including police officers, forensic experts, the doctor who treated Megan, a neighbor who witnessed the shooting, and Megan herself. Megan testified that tensions were high in the car between her, Tory, and her former friend and assistant, Kelsey Harris. Tory wanted Megan to admit to Kelsey about their intimate relationship, which made Megan uncomfortable because she knew Kelsey had a crush on Tory. Megan got out of the car, and that’s when the shooting happened. Initially, Kelsey corroborated details that pointed to Tory as the shooter in a video interview with prosecutors but changed her story on the witness stand.
In December 2022, a Los Angeles jury found Tory guilty on all three charges. Outside the courtroom, his family was outraged and blamed Beyoncé, Megan’s management company Roc Nation, and its founder Jay-Z for the verdict. Tory’s lawyer said they were looking into all options, including an appeal. As of now, Tory is in jail until his sentencing on January 27, 2023. He could face over 20 years in prison and possible deportation.
It’s important to note that none of Tory’s past actions and mistakes are directly related to the case with Megan. However, his past behavior shows a pattern of trouble. It looks like now, Tory has to face the consequences.