Los Angeles (AP):
Prosecutors are seeking a 13-year prison sentence for rapper Tory Lanez and the artiste, whose legal name is Daystar Peterson, faces deportation to his native Canada.
Three years have passed since hip-hop superstar Megan Thee Stallion was shot multiple times by Lanez in Los Angeles following a pool party at the home of Kylie Jenner.
On Monday, Lanez is scheduled to be sentenced, following his December conviction by a Los Angeles jury on three felony charges: assault with a semiautomatic firearm; having a loaded, unregistered firearm in a vehicle; and discharging a firearm with gross negligence.
Sentencing was delayed as Lanez’s attorneys filed a motion for a new trial, arguing that evidence was wrongly admitted. That request was denied in May 2023. Such motions immediately following a conviction are common and rarely succeed.
Since the shooting, Megan has been the target of widespread misinformation and vitriol spread through social media and inflamed with each development. A lot of the abuse, experts say, can be attributed to misogynoir, a particular type of misogyny experienced by black women.
Some of the hate was exacerbated by industry peers: rappers Drake and 21 Savage targetted Megan by name in lyrics attempting to discredit her allegations. 50 Cent posted memes mocking her, likening the rapper to actor Jussie Smollett, who was convicted in 2021 for lying to police about a racist, homophobic attack.
Others have come to her defence – #MeToo founder Tarana Burke and US Representative Maxine Waters have also spoken out about violence against black women and were among the signers of an open letter supporting Megan. The star herself wrote an op-ed in the New York Times calling for the protection of black women.
Megan, now 28, was already a major rising star at the time of the shooting, and her prominence has surged since. The Houston-based rapper born Megan Pete won a Grammy for Best New Artiste in 2021, and had No. 1 singles on the Billboard Hot 100 with her own song, Savage, featuring Beyoncé, and as a guest on Cardi B’s WAP.
Lanez is a Canadian artiste who began releasing mixtapes in 2009 and saw a steady rise in popularity, moving on to major-label albums. The 31-year-old’s last album reached the top-10 on the Billboard 200 chart, and he was a featured artiste on Jack Harlow’s No. 2 hit, WHATS POPPIN.