Drake is the latest act to call for the release of fellow Canadian artist Tory Lanez.
On Friday, May 16, 2025, the “Nokia” hitmaker reportedly shared a short message to his Instagram account that reads, “[Tory Lanez] come home soon.” Along with the message, the Canadian artist shared a link to the Caldwell Institute‘s petition urging California Governor Gavin Newsom to pardon the imprisoned musician.
“Daystar Peterson, professionally known as Tory Lanez, is currently serving a 10-year prison sentence—despite what his legal team describes as overwhelming evidence of prosecutorial misconduct, missing forensic data, and politically motivated sentencing,” a message shared by the Caldwell Institute for Public Safety reads. “We, the undersigned, urge California Governor Gavin Newsom to issue a pardon.”
Tory Lanez is currently serving a 10-year prison sentence after being convicted of three felonies: assault with a semi-automatic firearm, having a loaded, unregistered firearm in a vehicle, and discharging a firearm with gross negligence. The singer’s conviction is directly tied to a July 2020 incident in which he was accused of firing a gunshot at GRAMMY Award-winning rapper Meg Thee Stallion.
“Black women are still constantly disrespected and disregarded in so many areas of life. I was recently the victim of an act of violence by a man. After a party, I was shot twice as I walked away from him. We were not in a relationship. Truthfully, I was shocked that I ended up in that place,” Meg Thee Stallion wrote in an op-ed for The New York Times.
Despite Meg Thee Stallion’s account of what took place and the subsequent conviction, Tory Lanez and others have claimed that he was framed and did not shoot the Houston native. More specifically, Drake seemingly commented on Lanez’s conviction in 2022 with his song, “Circo Loco.”
“This b—h lie ’bout gettin shots, but she still a stallion,” he rapped.
Drake double entendre received backlash from many, including Megan Thee Stallion, who appeared to fire back with “Shots Fired.”
“Imagine n—s lying ‘bout shootin’ a real b—h just to save face for rapper n—s you chill with,” she rapped.
More recently, advocates and allies of Tory Lanez have pivoted away from music and attempted to reignite the push for the artist’s release by claiming to have secured new evidence.
“Among the newly presented claims, Lanez’s legal team cites a sworn affidavit from a bodyguard stating that Harris allegedly admitted to firing the gun into the air before Lanez intervened,” a statement from the Caldwell Institute for Public Safety reads. “Additionally, an independent eyewitness—a neighbor with no connection to any party—testified that he saw two women fighting and that the shots came from the passenger side of the vehicle, where Harris was seated. Yet again, only Tory’s DNA was tested against the magazine.”
However, legal representatives for Meg Thee Stallion have swiftly responded, calling the matter “resolved in the court of law.”
“Tory Lanez was tried and convicted by a jury of his peers and his case was properly adjudicated through the court system,” Spiro told XXL. “This is not a political matter — this is a case of a violent assault that was resolved in the court of law.”
