Tory Lanez is due to be sentenced in a little over 90 minutes as of this writing, but first, Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge David Herriford had over 70 letters of support for the rapper to read through as he considered his decision, according to independent journalist Meghann Cuniff. One of those letters, she reported, comes from fellow rapper Iggy Azalea, who was rumored to be dating Lanez after collaborating with him late last year. She reportedly asked for a sentence that would be “transformational, not life destroying.”
Alright we are on the 90-minute break. Judge Herriford got 70+ letters of support for Tory Lanez, including one from @IggyAzalea. He briefly summarized each one. Two jailers wrote letters, one spoke in court. Lanez' father, Sonstar Peterson, was the last speaker before the break.
— Meghann Cuniff (@meghanncuniff) August 7, 2023
No stranger to controversy herself, Azalea was criticized by fans online for her connection with Lanez, who was accused of shooting Houston rapper Megan Thee Stallion in the back of her feet after a disagreement in the summer of 2020. Azalea took the backlash in stride at the time, writing on Twitter, “You’re all very welcome to speak your opinion freely about me… just as long as we all have an understanding: you are having a monologue & not a discussion with me – because (respectfully) my bills remain paid without your two cents.”
Tory had previously announced he was executive producing the Australian rapper’s next album, although his motivations struck some as dubious. While he said he wanted to produce a female artist’s album “for a while,” to some observers, the announcement appeared to be a PR move, as he was then facing a criminal trial for assaulting a female artist — a crime for which he was later convicted. Meanwhile, Azalea has been censured multiple times in the past for allegedly co-opting her rap persona from existing Southern female rappers.
In addition to summarizing the letters of support for Lanez, whose defense requested a lenient sentence of probation and rehab against the prosecutors’ recommended 13 years in prison, Herriford heard from three speakers on the rapper’s behalf. One was Tory’s father, who apologized for his outburst after the original verdict, and a jail chaplain who spoke to Lanez’s character. Another jail employee wrote a letter calling him “remorseful,” which Cuniff notes is the closest Lanez has ever come to admitting guilt or taking responsibility for the shooting.
Megan The Stallion is a Warner Music artist. .
