Late Sunday (Feb. 25) night, Drake allegedly called for Tory Lanez’s release amid the “Jerry Sprunger” crooner serving his 10-year sentence for the shooting of Megan Thee Stallion.
The Toronto native took to his Instagram Stories to seemingly express support by posting a photo of Lanez with the caption, “Three you.” Some interpreted the message to be slang for “Free you.”
Notably, the singer and rapper was convicted in December 2022 on charges related to the 2020 incident in Hollywood Hills. He faced assault with an automatic firearm, carrying an unregistered loaded firearm in a vehicle, and discharge of a firearm with gross negligence, all of which were issued by a judge in August 2023.
It’s also worth mentioning that Drake was previously criticized for liking Lanez’s post-sentencing Instagram statement. Meanwhile, in 2022, the former appeared to take a jab at Megan on “Circo Loco.” The artist spat, “This b**ch lie ’bout gettin’ shots, but she still a stallion/ She don’t even get the joke, but she still smilin’.”
Despite being found guilty, plenty of the incarcerated musician’s industry peers have spoken out in support of him. For example, Meek Mill shouted “Free Tory Lanez” during his Rolling Loud Portugal 2023 set in July of that year.
After facing a sizeable amount of backlash, he later doubled down on his comments via Threads. “I say, ‘Free Young Thug… Free [YFN] Lucci… Free [YNW] Melly.’ I don’t even know why y’all start dealing with us if y’all gon’ try to smear us… That’s why I stick to the trenches,” he wrote on the platform.
Chris Brown is another collaborator who pleaded for Lanez’s freedom. He joined Adin Ross’ livestream last month, where he stated, “Free my boy.” The “Under the Influence” hitmaker added, “That’s like [two] percent of artists out here now. He’s a solid dude. I f**k with Tory.”
Similar to others, Brown was met with pushback from his fans and social media users, who subsequently revisited his past domestic disputes.