Entertainment site Highsnobiety announced Friday it would no longer cover rapper Tory Lanez after he released a new album that refuted Megan Thee Stallion’s accusation he shot her.
“This is the last time we will cover Tory Lanez,” said a post on Instagram, where Highsnobiety has 3.5 million followers.
“The rapper just added to his list of disgraceful behavior by dropping the most toxic album of the year. He recently became an music industry pariah after Megan Thee Stallion revealed that he shot her during an incident that led to his arrest on July 12. However, rather than publicly apologizing to Megan or addressing the issue, he released an album instead, using the media attention from the shooting to promote his work.”
The caption went on to highlight that Lanez’s new album was released just a day after a Kentucky grand jury declined to bring murder charges in the killing of Breonna Taylor, a 26-year-old Black medical worker who was killed by police in March during a botched “no-knock” raid.
“In 1962, Malcolm X said that ‘the most disrespected person in America is the black woman.’ Taylor’s memory has been used to sell magazines, get clicks, and win political favor. And yet, the police officers responsible for her death were not brought to justice,” Highsnobiety said. “Lanez has used the same logic to promote his album, exploiting the trauma enacted on Black women for financial and cultural gain, while refusing to protect them or acknowledge their culpability. And that’s why you’ll never see him on our website or social platforms again.”
On social media, there was an outpouring of praise for the platform’s move.
Washington Post global opinion editor Karen Attiah gave Highsnobiety “kudos,” writing, “That raggedy pillbug of a man should not be rewarded for literally trying to capitalize off of shooting Megan Thee Stallion by releasing new music.”
Journalist Jade Jackson pointed out the stakes of the move: “A black entertainment news outlet is taking a stand against Tory Lanez & his antics when they know their content is consumed by the culture. I’ve never seen anything like this before.”
Writer Court Kim expressed the hope that other media outlets would follow suit.
Lanez was arrested on July 12 after the incident on suspicion he was concealing a weapon. LAPD also confirmed that a woman was taken to the hospital after the July incident for treatment of a foot injury, consistent with Megan Thee Stallion’s story she was shot in the foot.
A representative for Lanez did not immediately return a request for comment.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CFjx23XnW9C/