How to describe Tory Lanez’ music? As a singer he could be thought of as an amalgamation of Chris Brown and Trey Songz singing over The Weeknd’s production. When it comes to rapping, his flow is very heavily Drake-influenced down to the beat change where he transitions from hardcore braggadocio to introspection about his upbringing and newfound fame. And did I mention that he produces on all of his projects? His trio of skills gives him a solid recipe to become a powerhouse in hip-hop.
Tory Lanez is an emerging 22-year-old rapper/singer/producer from Toronto. He has released four mixtapes: Sincerely Tory (May 2012), Confessions of My Soul (August 2013), Chixtape 2 (March 2014), and his most recent project Lost Cause dropped October 1st. He has features with DJ Carisma, Kirko Bangz, Roscoe Dash, Sage The Gemini, and many more.
What really makes Tory a standout, apart from sheer musical versatility, is his knack for story telling. All of his projects include overarching story lines about his experiences with women, the cognitive dissonance of dealing drugs and gangbanging as an adolescent, and growing up without a mother and having a minister for a father. However, these are basically the only topics that Tory raps about. A personal favorite, TLC, off of Chixtape 2, gives us a beautifully dark adaptation of T. L. C.’s “No Scrubs” where Tory tells us the story of how he was able to get a girl only after paying for a high-end rental. All That is another example of a fun song readapted into a much darker composition.
Tory Lanez is undoubtedly talented. He raps with great flow, creates and sings memorable melodies, and produces trap as well as atmospheric instrumentals at a high level. If he continues producing quality music and expands his message to other meaningful topics, I can see him becoming a staple in hip-hop very soon. Be on the lookout for his Lost Cause tour, going on now.
Wil Rios ’16 is an Economics concentrator living in Cabot House. He enjoys long walks with his Beats on, sacred geometry, defending Kanye and Lupe, and being obnoxiously loud in dining halls with his friends singing rap songs. Look out for his mixtape “Talkin Reckless on Facebook” dropping next week. Wil thoroughly believes that hip-hop will save his life.
*Disclamer: Not an actual mixtape*
