Daystar Shemuel Shua Peterson, known professionally by his stage name Tory Lanez, is a 31-year-old Canadian rapper, record producer, singer, and songwriter with an estimated net worth of about $2.5 million.
The year 2020 was generally rough for many people. However, it was extremely challenging for Tory Lanez thanks to criminal charges that resulted from his bust-up with fellow rapper Megan Thee Stallion. According to the allegations, Stallion and Lanez had gotten into an argument in his car. The former later exited only for Lanez to shoot her through the back window.
The alleged assault has resulted in multiple criminal charges, but Lanez maintains that nothing happened and that he is innocent. The trial remains ongoing and depending on the outcome, the incident has the potential of unsettling everything that the rapper-cum-singer has worked for over the years.
While we await the verdict, let us take you back and uncover some lesser-known facts about the singer-rapper.
1. Tory Lanez has a Net Worth of about $2.5 Million
Lanez has been doing music professionally since 2009 and in that time, he has garnered a modest net worth of about $2.5 million. A good portion of these comes from his album sales. The singer has also embarked on lucrative public performances over the years for which he has been well paid (between $30k and $60k per show).
Tory Lanez is also the owner of his own record label known as One Umbrella. He has several artists on his rooster and makes decent money from them. Even more important, he is in control of all his master tapes and publishing rights and stands to make good money from the royalties.
2. Lanez Originally Hails From Ontario, Canada
Before he became a superstar admired all over the world, Tory Lanez was just an ordinary boy who grew up in the city of Ontario, Canada. His father, Sonstar, has Barbadian ancestry while his late mother, Luella, hailed from the tiny Caribbean island country of Curacao. Lanez would spend some portion of his formative years in Ontario. His father later relocated the family to the United States of America where the young boy spent time in cities such as Atlanta and New York before being shipped back to Canada.
3. The Rapper Endured a Bout of Homelessness as a Teen
If you are wondering why Tory Lanez’s family shipped him back to Canada, the answer is that he got into much trouble as a teen. He exhibited serious behavioral issues and so, was moved back to Canada to see if his grandma would have a calming influence on him. That calming effect didn’t work much and by 15, Lanez found himself on the streets. He took to sharing an apartment with three other young boys. He also took various odd jobs to support himself. These odd jobs left him unfulfilled though and when he was fired from a Denny’s outlet, he decided to turn to his passion for music.
4. His Real Name is Daystar Shemuel Shua Peterson
Most celebrities have a story behind the meaning of their stage name and Tory Lanez is no different. Real name Daystar Shemuel Shua Peterson, the singer first acquired Lanez from a friend who referenced the fact that he loved seeking thrills and running through streets and road lanes.
By the time he began pursuing his music career seriously, Lanez added “Notorious” to his name as a nod to his idol, the late Notorious B.I.G. Notorious would later morph into Tori and so came about the stage name, Tori Lanez.
5. He Was Discovered On YouTube
Online platforms have helped the careers of many people in recent times and Tori Lanez is one of them. When the Ontario native dropped his debut mixtape T.L 2 T.O. in 2009, he made a couple of YouTube videos to support them. These videos attracted the attention of the likes of Justin Bieber and Sean Kingston and soon enough, Lanez was performing in one of Beiber’s tours. Kingston also signed him to his record label. That business relationship did not pan out so well but at least, it gave Lanez’s some way into the music industry.
6. Tory Lanez Lost His Mother At The Age of 11
Part of the reason behind Tory Lanez’s troubling behavior as a child was the loss of his beloved mother, Luella Peterson, when he was just 11. The late Luella suffered from an anemic-related disease that affects four in every one million people. She eventually passed away on the 25th of September 2003 leaving behind Lanez, his five siblings, and their father.
The loss affected Lanez and he took to acting out. He later learned to channel his anger into music and the rest is history. It has been more than a decade since Lanez’s mom passed away but he continues to remember her to date. He even timed the release of his fifth studio album, Daystar, to coincide with the anniversary of her death.
7. His Father Is a Missionary and Ordained Minister
If you call Tory Lanez a preacher’s kid, then you won’t be entirely wrong as his father, Sonstar Peterson, is an ordained minister and traveling missionary. Sonstar received his calling a little late in life and so relocated his family to different parts of the U.S. for missionary work. He himself has since settled down in Kenya where his second wife hails from and they have two children together.
Sonstar is predictably proud of his superstar son and has revealed that Lanez may have gotten some of his artistic genes from him as he was a professional dancer during his heydays in Canada.
8. His Elder Sister Is Also A Musician
Tory Lanez is not the only musician in his family as his elder sister, Destiny, is similarly gifted. Performing under the stage name, Dstny, Destiny first got into music as a teenager thanks to her father who introduced her to gospel music and wholesome circular music as well. Her late mom also recognized her talents early and got her into a recording studio as early as the age of 14. Dstny would release her first song at the age of 15 and now has several songs under her belt including “Issues”, “Killing Me”, and “Top of the Morning”. She was previously signed to her brother’s record label but has since founded her own.
9. The Rapper Has a Long-Standing Feud with Fellow Canadian Superstar Drake
Tory Lanez and Drake are both Canadians and you would think that this fact would bring them close. This is, however, not the case as both musicians have been stuck in a feud since 2009. At that time, Lanez was still a struggling artist and sent his mixtape (Play For Keeps) to Drake for a listen. Drake never got back to him and so, having been forced to struggle to come up on his own, he took a dim view of Drake.
Both singers have since fired verbal shots at each other. In 2015, Lanez released his New Toronto mixtape and by 2016, Drake claimed in his single Summer Sixteen that “all you boys in New Toronto want to be me”. Lanez turned that phrase (New Toronto) into a merch line that sold out. He also did a remix of Drake‘s son, “Controlla” which many said was better than the original.
⏰ will ???? … and the truth will come to the light … I have all faith in God to show that … love to all my fans and people that have stayed true to me & know my heart … a charge is not a conviction . If you have supported me or meg thru this , I genuinely appreciate u .
— Tory Lanez (@torylanez) October 9, 2020
10. Lanez Potentially Faces Up To 22 Years In Jail
The entire bust-up with Megan Thee Stallion resulted in Tory Lanez being charged with two felony counts of assault with a semi-automatic firearm as well as carrying a loaded unregistered firearm in a vehicle. Lanez has pleaded not guilty and has maintained that he is innocent of all the accusations. Stallion is not backing down from her story though and has gone on to provide strong proof of her allegations. The trial continues and Lanez has been barred from speaking to members of the public about it. He meanwhile faces a minimum sentence of 8 months and a maximum sentence of 22 years if found guilty.
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