Tory Lanez has credited himself for revolutionizing the streaming era, which has propelled unknown creators into stardom and revived the careers of established celebrities.
The Canadian rapper, currently serving a 10-year prison sentence, took to his Instagram Story on Thursday (January 16) to share a nostalgic clip from his groundbreaking 2020 Quarantine Radio series. “I crawled so the streaming community could walk [happy tears emojis] #QuarantineRadio,” he captioned the post.
In the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, Lanez launched Quarantine Radio to combat global boredom. With surprise guest appearances, including one from Drake, the show made history, pulling in over 237,000 Instagram Live viewers in a single stream—a record at the time. Even Instagram’s CEO intervened when the show faced temporary suspension, helping Lanez restore his platform.
Quarantine Radio’s success eventually led to meaningful philanthropic efforts. In May 2020, Lanez partnered with Amazon Music and The Dream Center to launch the Tory Lanez Dream City Fund, aimed at assisting communities affected by the pandemic. The initiative provided meals and diapers to those in need, with Lanez donating 50,000 diapers to kickstart the campaign.
Reflecting on the importance of giving back, Lanez said: “At some point, every artist was a regular person. People feel exactly how you felt when you were in that place.”
However, his career trajectory took a drastic turn later that year following the shooting incident involving Megan Thee Stallion. Lanez was convicted in late 2022 and began serving his sentence in 2023.
Most recently, a judge granted Megan a five-year restraining order against Lanez, barring him from any form of harassment or intimidation until January 9, 2030. His attorney, Michael Hayden, criticized the decision, calling it a violation of Lanez’s free speech and arguing it was unnecessary given his incarceration.
Tory Lanez remains a polarizing figure, but his claim of trailblazing the streaming movement has sparked renewed debate about his influence on digital platforms during the pandemic.
