Mario Sparks Outrage Following Tory Lanez Collab Announcement

BYAron A.Updated on September 26, 20228.1K Views

Michael Buckner/Getty Images, Rich Fury/Getty Images

Singer Mario attends Trevor Jackson's Monster 18th Birthday Party Presented by Monster at El Rey Theatre on August 28, 2014 in Los Angeles, California. Tory Lanez attends the Rolling Stone Live Big Game Experience at Academy LA on February 12, 2022 in Los Angeles, California.

Mario faces backlash after announcing his upcoming collaboration with Tory Lanez.

Mario reminded fans of his catalog during his Verzuz against Omarion where he came out on top. Omarion received flowers for his showmanship but when it boils down to the artistry, many fans concluded that Mario is the superior artist. It may have been a better time than any to capitalize on the performance and unveil new music but his recent song announcement left fans disappointed.

Michael Buckner/Getty Images

After hinting at a special announcement, Mario revealed that his next single will feature Tory Lanez, who's accused of shooting Megan Thee Stallion. Though cancel culture hasn't necessarily ended Tory's career, fans didn't think it was the right move for Mario. Some pointed out how he captivated women during his Verzuz performance, specifically Black women. Others brought up his comments after news of Tory's arrest in 2020.

"This @theestallion & @torylanez situation got me in awe. Sad AF? Knowing Tory personally this shit crazy to me. Black men we gotta learn how to control our ego, anger etc. at some point the switch gotta turn off! Protect black women! Heal black men. Love & respect each other," he wrote on Aug. 21st, 2021.

It seems that Mario later hopped on Instagram Live where he doubled down on his collab with Tory Lanez, praising the Brampton artist for his independence and talent.

Check out some of the reactions to Mario's announcement below.

About The Author

Aron A.

Aron A. is a features editor for HotNewHipHop. Beginning his tenure at HotNewHipHop in July 2017, he has comprehensively documented the biggest stories in the culture over the past few years. Throughout his time, Aron’s helped introduce a number of buzzing up-and-coming artists to our audience, identifying regional trends and highlighting hip-hop from across the globe. As a Canadian-based music journalist, he has also made a concerted effort to put spotlights on artists hailing from North of the border as part of Rise & Grind, the weekly interview series that he created and launched in 2021. Aron also broke a number of stories through his extensive interviews with beloved figures in the culture. These include industry vets (Quality Control co-founder Kevin "Coach K" Lee, Wayno Clark), definitive producers (DJ Paul, Hit-Boy, Zaytoven), cultural disruptors (Soulja Boy), lyrical heavyweights (Pusha T, Styles P, Danny Brown), cultural pioneers (Dapper Dan, Big Daddy Kane), and the next generation of stars (Lil Durk, Latto, Fivio Foreign, Denzel Curry). Aron also penned cover stories with the likes of Rick Ross, Central Cee, Moneybagg Yo, Vince Staples, and Bobby Shmurda.