From Most Hated to Grammy Nominated – The Rise of Tory Lanez
There is something eminent in the water in Toronto and Tory Lanez is a prime example of that. Peaking at number 19 on the Billboard Hot 100 charts, Lanez’s swavey Summer anthem “Luv” is still climbing steady and pushing more into our playlists.
Born in Toronto, Daystar Peterson and his family were based in Montreal before moving to Miami. After the tragic sudden loss of his mother due to a rare disease his father turned to religion, becoming a missionary, causing them both to move throughout the United States. Living a young life on the road with his ordained minister father, Daystar’s troubles with settling and being grounded from being forced to move to and from families homes landed him on his own by the age of 15. Having hardships early in his life,Tory Lanez turned to music. With Notorious B.I.G. being a huge idol and inspiration for him, rapping and singing is where Lanez shined and thrived.
Shortly thereafter embarking on his own, Tory dropped out of high school at 16 years old to pursue and focus on his craft. He moved to South Florida, where Tory’s covers and homemade music videos caught the attention of rap star Sean Kingston. Kingston signed Tory to his label and Tory released three mixtapes, Mr. Peterson, Chixtape and Swavey). By 2014 Tory Lanez released an additional three mixtapes ( Sincerely Tory, Conflicts of my Soul: The 416 Story and Chixtape ll.
Holding a group of mixtapes and EPs under his belt, Tory Lanez provided a series of infectious hits with familiar catchy samples from Brownstone, TLC, D’Angelo, Tanto Metro and Devonte (just to name a few). Thus creating the name or term for his genre of music “swavey”, meaning multiple genres fused together. Not only marrying and combining genres together, he uses singing and rapping in a cohesive uniformed manner or style that’s just plain damn hot. He makes it clear that he is not just a rapper or a singer, but an artist. And wishes to spread his music throughout the world, giving hope, spreading light and peace.
In 2015 after parting ways with Sean Kingston’s team, Tory announced that he was signing with hitmaker Benny Blanco’s imprint Mad Love Records in a partnership with Interscope Records.
His 2015 smash hit “Say It” gained Tory Lanez considerable recognition, and helped deliver praise for his 2014 mixtape Lost Cause. The track would also become the leading single off of the Tory Lanez studio debut album. “Say It” and the follow-up single “Luv” were both produced by Benny Blanco.
Making guest appearances on shows like Jimmy Kimmel Live and continuing to release sound remixes, Tory and ASAP Ferg announced “The Level Up Tour” on April 1, 2016. To promote their tour ASAP and Lanez collaborated on the track “Line Up The Flex”.
A few weeks later Tory Lanez released the official second single off the album, the aforementioned “Luv”. The single gave Lanez the official buzz he needed to release the autobiographical debut album, I Told You.
Along with Caribbean influenced production Tory Lanez’s feel good love tracks have house parties, dance clubs, and stereos systems lit. Lanez’s use of samples is a genius way for him to do his part in teaching today’s kids and teenagers what good music came before their time and how great music can still live on even if you make it your own.
As usual, with success controversy is generally sure to follow. Comparisons to rapper Travis $cott and Ty Dollar $ign along with accusations of Tory biting off of $cott’s style forced Lanez to respond on twitter. “I can’t sound like somebody I wrote for,” Lanez. declared.
Despite having past challenges and feuds with fellow Toronto rapper Drake, Tory pays respect these days. Releasing remixes to Drake’s “Controlla”, the velvety track delivers rhythmic, melodic, and lyrical prowess. A number of tracks referring to one another by Drake and Lanez has produced lines such as “All you boy’s in the new Toronto wanna be me a little” off of Drakes verse on “Summer Sixteen”. On Lanez’s remix of “Uber Everywhere” he replies “you some actor nigga boy, I used to see you on the screen”. But during an interview with “Sway in the Morning” Lanez addressed the feud with drake commenting that the feud was blown out of proportion and that he doesn’t wish to discuss the rapper any longer.
Whether it’s paying homage to the 80s and 90s R&B, to crowd surfing in New York’s Webster Hall, to feuding with Hip-Hop heavyweights, its getting to the point where we all could use more from this promising young “swavey” talent.
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