Drake triggered social media criticism by seemingly advocating for the release of rapper Tory Lanez, who was sentenced to 10 years last August for shooting Megan Thee Stallion.
The simple post that appeared on Drake’s Instagram story doesn’t offer much information.
The graphic, featuring Lanez with the caption “3 you,” has been interpreted as “free you,” and drew ire online, with users accusing Drake of misogyny and insensitivity towards Megan’s ordeal.
I swear I donโt be lying to yall.
Drake is a very specific and very blatant misogynist and his โFree Tory Lanezโ post is only further proof of where he is and may have always been. https://t.co/PSNpnzb7Qb
โ David Dennis Jr. (@DavidDTSS) February 26, 2024
The shooting incident, stemming from a 2020 altercation after a Hollywood Hills party, saw Lanez shooting Megan in the feet following a heated argument. Megan testified in a 2022 trial that Lanez had verbally attacked her before firing the shots.
Drake and the person Tony Lanez is in jail for shooting, Megan Thee Stallion, have been publicly squabbling for a number of years.
And, to make matters worse, According to an article in Rolling Stone, “Drakeโs had several weird dustups with women in recent years,” and his latest post, seen below from an article inย Exclaim, is not going over well.ย
One commenter on X said, “Drake, who arguably has one of the largest fanbases in hip-hop, has been actively galvanizing his fanbase of misogynistic men & male identified women to attack a BW who is a victim of gun violence for a year now, but theyโll still push the narrative that Megan is the problem.”
Lanez was born in Brampton. The rapper found commercial success with his debut album I Told You (2016), exploring alternative R&B. His subsequent albums Memories Don’t Die and Love Me Now? (both 2018) delved into hip hop, achieving commercial success despite mixed reviews. His fourth album, Chixtape 5 (2019), reached number two on the Billboard 200, while Daystar (2020) peaked at number 10.
Lanez was sentenced to 10 years in prison on August 8, 2023, for shooting Megan Thee Stallion multiple times in 2020. After the ruling, Lanez issued a statement asserting his innocence and declared his refusal to apologize.
The conviction sparked claims of injustice from him and his supporters, but commentators emphasized the need to take Black women’s traumatic experiences seriously.
Rolling Stone commented that “Anti-prison abolitionists believe that the justice system is inherently racist and should be uprooted. But even those progressives didnโt feel much sorrow when Tory was convicted because of his conduct and arrogance throughout the leadup to the trial.”
Of course, Lanez has just filed an appeal in the case, and that could just as easily be what Drake is responding to.
