Why Tory Lanez Is Confident He'll Win a Grammy

The rapper and singer is up against Rihanna, Maxwell, Bryson Tiller and PartyNextDoor, but he's staying positive: "I think I'm gonna win."


Tory Lanez's first Grammy-nominated song almost didn't exist. When the Toronto-based artist (whose real name is Daystar Peterson) was heading to the studio to record "LUV," he was pulled over by a state trooper. Smoke poured out when he rolled down the window and there was also a gun in the car, he recalls, but he got off with just a speeding ticket. Despite his luck, the run-in cost him enough time to be hours late to the studio, but he was able to catch his sound engineer just before he left.

"It was just crazy because now that I'm thinking about it, that situation could've went a whole other other way," Lanez said over the phone. "That song could've never been written."

The rapper dropped the song—which samples Tanto Metro & Devonte's "Everyone Falls In Love" and carries its Dancehall vibe—in June 2016 as a single to his debut album I Told You, which released in August. After racking up streams (over 137 million on Spotify alone), seeping into the club scenes and landing in the Top 20 in Billboard's Hot 100 chart, "LUV" is now a contender for Best R&B Song at this year's Grammy Awards. The 24-year-old is up against Rihanna, Maxwell, Bryson Tiller and PartyNextDoor, but he remains confident: "I think I'm gonna win."

A week before the Grammys, the rapper and singer spoke to HarpersBAZAAR.com about his numerous projects and what's coming up next from him and his One Umbrella mob.

Lanez performs in Houston in 2016.
Getty Images

Harper's BAZAAR: What's going through your head right now a week before the Grammys? How are you prepping?

Tory Lanez: I'm just recording. It is what it is. I'm thankful for the position that I'm in, I'm thankful to go to the ceremony the first time, thankful for everything. I'm just taking it step by step. I'm not like, overly anxious or nothing like that, because sometimes when you're overly anxious it kind of brings a weird energy around and I just like to just take things one day at a time.

HB: Are there any artist that you're rooting for that are also nominated that night?

TL: I don't know about that, but hopefully whoever is supposed to win. More power to anybody who wins; more power to everybody who's nominated for anything. I'm not a hater, I'm not one of those people. I do think it's dope when people get recognized for whatever it is that they do, so more power to everybody who got nominated.

HB: The producer on your song "Luv," Benny Blanco, is also nominated for Producer of the Year. What was it like working with him?

TL: Honestly, it's a blessing. Benny's probably one of the most talented people I know. He's just a very proactive guy when it comes to music and is just very creative. I think because of that, it makes it very easy to work with him. I'm a very outgoing guy when it comes to music and I like all kinds of sounds of music and genres of music, so it's really fun working with him. Very fun.

HB: What was it like that debut album in general? You've had a bunch of great songs coming out of there.

TL: It was incredible. I was just trying to figure out a way to piece my life together. I think I pieced good music with it at the same time. For me to make conceptual albums, that's everything I ever wanted to do.

HB: You go into your teenage years in that album. How did those experiences influence the way you make music?

TL: Every experience is like a big experience in my life, at least key points of them, and that's what I try to touch on most, like the different key points of where I was at, maybe mentally or emotionally, or whatever was going on. All of those times evoke a certain emotion out of me and a certain memory to certain times I've had. So, I just try to take in those and just use it.


HB: Since that was your full studio debut, what did you want people to take away from that and learn about you?

TL: I just wanted people to kind of know where I came from so they could get a broader understanding of the person that I am. I think the things that I say sometimes, they come out so outrageous to people or so obnoxious to people because the statements that I say are so bold that sometimes it just sounds like, "Yo like, the fuck does this guy think he is?" It's not that, it's just from where I came from and what I've seen and what I've emerged from. That's the big for me.

HB: You also just released your new mixtapes. So what was it like putting that together compared to your album?

TL: Honestly, the mixtapes I treat them as albums as well. I think all the mixtapes are more so like tiny, tiny practices on when you do put an album out. All the trial and error and things you shouldn't do, and things you should do right. So that's mainly where I put my focus on. I feel like a lot of people don't really pay attention to everything on a mixtape as far as an album, because an album gets pushed more. But, I just always wanted any time for someone to hear my music, no matter whether it be a mixtape or album, that it just still stands on the same quality.

HB: How is the I Told You film coming along?

TL: It's almost done. We're at a place with it right now that I'm very excited about. There were things that I didn't think were really possible unless I went and did it, and now I know a lot of those things are possible as far as making a movie. The film is like an hour and 20 minutes. It's a real movie. And that's why it's taken so long as well. I know a lot of people are like, "Yo what's taking so long with the movie?" But the movie is really a real film. So that's pretty much why.

HB: Did you ever see yourself making movies?

TL: I mean, I direct all of my videos, mostly. A lot of times I only shoot with certain people. The only other person who really co-directs with me or really ever directs anything is Zac Facts, and that's the dude I did the movie with. For me, it's more so like I've been doing it before I met Zac, and Zac's been doing it before he's met me. So I've always had a deep infatuation with that whole business and that whole art of just cinematography. So, you know, I try to always make everything cinematic, no matter what. That's my biggest thing when it comes to my music and when it comes to everything. Honestly, that could've answered most of the questions you asked. Everything has to feel cinematic to me. No matter what it is. If it's a movie, if it's a short clip, it has to feel like a movie. You know what I mean? It has to look and feel like a movie, or something that's more intriguing than just a song, or whatever the case is. Something that makes you feel like, "Wow, I'm involved in this." It has to feel very cinematic, or otherwise I don't want to really touch it.

HB: What keeps you motivated while you're working on all of these projects?

TL: Honestly, I'm just motivated by progression. I vibe off of progression, I'm a Leo, so the progression is more so what makes me want to keep going. Because once I see I'm doing better, I just want to do better.

HB: Do you have more music lined up for the year?

TL: Yeah man, lots of music I think is gonna be on the way, especially this summer. The summer's ours. This summer's ours. It belongs to the Umbrella. And I think that at this point, a lot of other artists that I've been working with and a lot of other artists, whether or not they're Umbrella affiliates, they're with the Umbrella. There's an artist named Davo that's about to come out. Also my older brother, like my blood brother, is about to come out as well. His name is Brookso, but he goes by Wolfgang now. So right now, I'm good 'cause I know that when it comes down to music, a lot of content is coming to the listeners.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

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