A day after Page Six reported Tory Lanez was “scared for his life” behind bars, the rapper shared an audio note dedicated to his fans on Instagram, asking them not to be fearful for him, and claiming that he’s actually “in great spirits.”
On Monday, the rapper born Daystar Peterson — who was found guilty of shooting Megan Thee Stallion and sentenced to 10 years in prison in August — released an audio message to fans about the conditions of the jail cell he has been in as he announced the deluxe edition of his recent album.
“I’m talking to you live from prison right now. I’m just happy to get out of that bullshit county jail. They were hating on the young fly, you heard? Had me on 24-hour lockdown. A half-sized cell by myself,” he said. “No windows, no mirrors. N—a ain’t even seen himself in a whole year.”
“But with all them disadvantages against me, my head has always been held high, man. I want y’all to know I’m in great spirits, and my drive and ambition is growing stronger every day,” he continued.
He thanked fans for their support during this “scary time” but asked them to “not be afraid.” “This don’t spark no fear in my heart at all. In fact, I’m more prepared than ever,” he said, before teasing a deluxe edition of 2021’s Alone at Prom.
The message from Lanez comes days after cops released his mugshot to TMZ, in which the rapper appears disheveled and unkept. It also arrives about a week after an L.A. County denied his request to stay out of prison as he appeals his conviction. In a quick hearing, Judge David Herriford denied the bail motion, citing the “violent felony” he was convicted of, his “history of violating court orders” — namely the previously instituted protective order, and his deportation risk as he is not a United States citizen.
Lanez was sentenced for the shooting in August, nearly eight months after he was found guilty of first-degree assault with a firearm, discharge of a firearm with gross negligence, and having a concealed firearm in a vehicle. Ahead of his sentencing, Megan Thee Stallion — whose real name is Megan Pete — wrote a statement about the hardships she says she has endured since the shooting.
“I struggle with being present. After everything that occurred I cannot bring myself back to being in the same room with Tory,” she wrote. “He paid bloggers to disseminate false information; he treated my trauma like a joke when I could’ve been dead. He blamed the system, he blamed the press, and as of late he is using his childhood trauma to justify his actions.”
In a letter to his fans following his conviction in August, the rapper said he “always will” maintain his innocence, adding, “I refuse to apologize for something that I didn’t do.”
“I have never let a hard time intimidate me. I will never never let no jail time eliminate me. Regardless of how they try to spin my words, I have always maintained my innocence and I always will,” he wrote. “This week in court I took responsibility for all verbal and intimate moments that I shared with the parties involved… that’s it.”
“In no way shape or form was I apologizing for the charges I’m being wrongfully convicted of. I remain on the stance that I refuse to apologize for something that I did not do,” he added.
Lanez dropped Alone at Prom in 2021, featuring songs such as “The Color Violet” and “Lady of Namek.”