Torey Lanez

Who is Torey Lanez ?

Daystar Shmuel Shua Peterson (born July 27, 1992), known professionally as Tory Lanez, is a Canadian rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer. He gained initial recognition from the mixtape My Soul: The 416 Story, which was released in August 2013. In 2015, Tory Lanez signed to producer Benny Blanco's Mad Love Records through Introscope Records.

Lanez's debut studio album, I Told You (2016), included the singles "Say It" and "Love", which peaked at number 23 and 19 on the Billboard Hot 100, respectively. In 2018, Lanez released his second and third studio albums, Memories Don't Die and Love Me Now? His fourth studio album Sixtape 5 (2019) peaked at number 2 on the US Billboard 200. In 2020, he released his fifth studio album, Daystar, which peaked at number 10 on the Billboard 200. Earlier that year rapper Megan The Stallion.

Torey Lanez was found guilty of shooting Megan the Stallion

Rapper Tory Lanez faces charges of assault with a semi-automatic weapon and could face up to 22 years in prison

A Los Angeles jury on Friday found rapper Tory Lanez guilty of three counts in the 2020 shooting of hip-hop star Megan the Stallion, which left her leg wounded by bullet fragments.

The 30-year-old Canadian rapper, whose legal name is Daystar Peterson, was charged with assault with a semiautomatic rifle, possession of a loaded, unregistered firearm in a vehicle and discharging a firearm with gross negligence, a jury deliberated for a day. The count carries a prison sentence of up to 22 years.

Lanez showed no apparent reaction when the verdict was read. He was handcuffed while in court.

After the jury left the courtroom, Lanez's father, Son star Peterson, stood up and began shouting: "This wicked organization is being judged before God Almighty!" He then pointed to the two lawyers in the case and said, “You two are bad, wicked people. You know what you've done."

Deputies escorted him out of the courtroom, where he continued to yell in the hallway.

Megan Thee Stallion, whose legal name is Megan Pete, testified during the trial that Lanez fired a handgun into the back of her legs and yelled at her to dance as they drove away from the car.

She required surgery to remove bullet fragments from her leg.

The shooting sparked a national conversation that culminated during the investigation, focusing on the reluctance of black people to talk to the police, the safety of black women, gender politics in hip-hop and online toxicity.

In closing arguments, lawyers emphasized the courage it took Meghan to come forward and the 27-year-old's face. They said she had no incentive to tell anything but the truth.

"Why would she lie?" Deputy District Attorney Alexander Pott said. "She was subjected to an undercurrent of hate. For what? For coming forward as a victim of domestic violence?"

In his closing argument, Lanez's attorney alleged that Megan's friend Kelsey Harris fired the gun in a jealous fight at Lanez, who tried to stop the shooting. Attorney George Maktesian argued that Megan created a more sympathetic story by shooting Lanez.

“Megan Peet is a liar. She lied about everything in this matter from the very beginning,” said Mgdesyan. "She lied under oath here."

Harris, who denied being the shooter, identified Lanez as the gunman. His attorney, in an email, declined to comment on his involvement.

Lanez began releasing mixtapes in 2009 and has seen a steady rise in popularity, moving on to major-label albums. His last two reached the top 10 on Billboard's charts.

Megan the Stallion was already a huge rising star at the time of filming, and her prominence has soared since then. He won a Grammy Award for Best New Artist in 2021 and had No. 1 singles on the Billboard Hot 100 with his own song "Savage," featuring Beyoncé, and guested on Cardi B's "WAP."