Tory Lanez: "Playboy" A Self-Retrospective

Tory Lanez is no stranger to controversy. Over the last two years, he has been ridiculed and "cancelled" by several media outlets for his alleged involvement in a shooting incident with fellow artist Megan The Stallion.

Lanez was once a very popular artist. Hailing from Toronto, he has been endorsed by other Canadian music legends such as The Weeknd and Drake. That popularity took a steep dive due to the altercation between him and Megan The Stallion. However, Lanez has since left his record label and gone independent.

Now, going fully independent as an artist can usually work one of two ways. The artist takes a huge hit in terms of popularity and basically falls off the face of the earth. Or, the artist gains momentum from a loyal fan base and ends up reaping the benefit. In the case of Tory Lanez, his move to an independent label revived his career.

Playboy is selfish self-awareness at its finest. The 10 track offering finds Lanez in his emotions as he attempts to justify the way he lashes out towards his peers. Similarly to fellow Candian artist Drake, the self-awareness on display is quite refreshing to see...but that is not what makes the album so great.

Lanez's ability to effortlessly switch flows from rapping to emotional, high-pitched singing is what makes him an undeniable star. There's a reason he is still relevant despite the massive altercations he was involved in. His fan base under his new label "One Umbrella" is the most loyal fan base you will ever find.

Lanez understood he has a massive, loyal following which is why this transition to independence worked so well. Playboy is Tory's attempt at making a modern-day R&B album infused with hip-hop elements.

Lanez has always blurred the line between genres which is why I think this offering from him was so exciting to listen to. Themes are simple, including loss of love, managing friendships, losing his money, etc. However, as I have mentioned in previous postings, themes do not have to be complex within music to be enjoyable.

Take this album for what it is: a smooth, slow-jam record with elements of hip-hop and you should enjoy the hell out of it. Digging too deep to find greater meaning in these type of albums will only cause listeners and critics to find random reasons to hate it.

Again, I am not endorsing the man as a human being. His latest project is very worthwhile though. I would highly recommend this to anyone looking for some nice studying music or something to relax to.