Entertainment | September 10th, 2020
Tory Lanez’ Dismissal of Accountability is Telling
By: Kailyn Rhone
On July 12, the nation shockingly discovered one of the most controversial and dangerous moments in rap history as the two artists Tory Lanez and Megan Thee Stallion – also known as Megan Pete and Daystar Peterson – were involved in a bloody shooting resulting in Megan being shot twice. Today, TMZ exclusively reported that hours after the shooting, Tory texted the then-hospitalized rapper apologizing and asking for forgiveness.
The two platinum-recording rappers and another friend were seen party-hopping in Hollywood Hills when the unexpected shooting occurred, leading to the police reporting to the scene due to a local neighbor’s report. The celebratory night ended troublesome as Tory was arrested for possession of a handgun in his vehicle, and after being questioned by the police, Megan was hospitalized. True to his artistry, Tory is blaming it all on the alcohol as he excuses his undisciplined actions on his intoxication, according to TMZ.
In a text to Megan, who has not responded since the incident, Tory wrote: “I know u prolly never gone talk to me again, but I genuinely want u to know I’m sorry from the bottom of my heart. I was just too drunk. None the less [expletive] should have never happened and I can’t change what I did. I just feel horrible. Cuz I genuinely just got too drunk.”
Sending an apology text regarding allegedly shooting a woman, then blaming it on being “too drunk” isn’t viewed as the most respectful or mature way to handle the situation. In a situation regarding infliction towards another vulnerable community, especially when the men are primarily supposed to be the community’s protector, a text isn’t the best route of resolution.
However, most can suspect that the Houston native wasn’t answering Tory’s calls, which resulted in him sending the text messages. The majority of Black women and women in general are now more furious than ever seeing that Tory sent a simple text for a harmfully impactful action that he allegedly did.
Raise your hand if you’ve been drunk before and never considered shooting someone 🙋🏾♀️🙋🏾♀️🙋🏾♀️#ToryLanez
— Nefertitti (@Niharriii) September 9, 2020
Most are not that fond either that Tory is blaming his actions, which allegedly is him shooting Megan, on him being under the influence. Throughout the Black community’s history, most view Black men as the ultimate protector for Black women. Seeing this incident play out in the media with Lanez not saying a word since it hit the news, many women are genuinely disappointed.
Black women are seeking mutual respect and significance from those who are primarily supposed to support them throughout it all. In the beginning, most were unsure about who the actual gunman was. However, over time Megan revealed that Tory was the person who shot her in an emotional Instagram live. Megan Thee Stallion says she lied to the police because she was afraid and trying to protect Tory.
“Black women are so unprotected & we hold so many things in to protect the feelings of others w/o considering our own,” said Megan on Twitter. “It might be funny to y’all on the internet and just another messy topic for you to talk about but this is my real life and I’m real life hurt and traumatized.”
Many celebrities, fans and even strangers support the rapper as she continues to prosper with her new music and has recently had her virtual concert on August 29.
Yet, it is arduous to overlook this traumatizing situation when people are continually creating memes and negatively commenting about the situation and even calling the artist, “Megan Thee Snitch,” mostly since this was an uncontrollable and violent matter.
With new headlines coming out about this incident weekly and a following of nearly 10 million on Instagram, Tory has yet to comment on the situation publicly. However, he has recently addressed a comment made about his music sales decreasing after the unfortunate experience with Megan.
#ToryLanez DM’d #HotNewHipHop to say his streams have not dropped. 👀😳 Earlier this week Forbes reported his streams had decreased by 40%. — Y’all still listening to Tory? pic.twitter.com/a1Dh8tiZCf
— No Jumper (@nojumper) September 5, 2020
Die-hard fans are still coming to defend Megan as they continue to boycott Tory’s music and question why people are continuously supporting him. Tory has yet to be legally charged in connection to the shooting since his $35,000 bail. However, he is scheduled for a court date on Oct. 13.
The ongoing situation and how Megan was first accused of being cut by glass and not being shot demonstrates the harsh reality of misogyny in hip-hop and how Black women are treated in America, and sadly by their own kind, the ones mostly meant to protect. As fans await to see what Tory says about the situation, many claim that the situation will go down as another mystery in hip-hop culture.
