It's no secret that Tory Lanez is eager to get the ball rolling on his newfound artistic independence. Around the same time he was gearing up to drop off The New Toronto 3, Tory made the revelation that the album would be his final on Interscope Records. Seeing greener pastures on the horizon, Lanez began teasing that the best was yet to come, as he had been saving his greatest, most polished music for his independent hustle.
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Of course, it's entirely possible that Lanez is simply building further hype for his eventual releases, which are said to include an acoustic album, an 80s-inspired album, and a Spanish album. As he tells it, those are the ones worth checking for -- in fact, he actually doubled down on that particular line of thought on Twitter this afternoon. "I really dropped that last project to get out my deal," writes Tory, essentially downplaying The New Toronto 3 as a means to an end. "I wanna drop more music now! REAL MUSIC."
While it's exciting to see Lanez excited about his future plans, he shouldn't be so quick to wash his hands of the studio discography he's since built up. Some of his best songs, from "Pieces" to "Miami," came from his Interscope albums. We can only hope that his next batch of three continues to build upon his artistry, and from the ambitious sounds of his recently-teased descriptions, the end results will truly be a spectacle to behold.
Eve & Dr. Dre Forged The Ruff Ryders & Aftermath Alliance
Eve and Dr. Dre developed a strong and surefire chemistry, forging an alliance between two great hip-hop dynasties.
Throughout his time as the head of the Aftermath Entertainment dynasty, Dr. Dre has amassed quite a roster. Not everyone stayed for very long. Rakim, Busta Rhymes, and Eve all enjoyed noteworthy yet ultimately brief tenures with the label. For the Ruff Ryders first lady, her time with Aftermath was only eight months, a period that yielded little in the way of actual music. That came later. First came the forging of an intense and creatively fruitful relationship. And to think, it all began with some good old fashioned duplicity.
So the story goes, Eve was a young Philadelphia emcee seeking a break. At the time, her managers were the “local drug dealers in town,” as per her own description. As it so often does, fate would rear her head with an opportunity. Dr. Dre, himself at the dawn of a new era of his career, had recently launched a brand new label — Aftermath. When Dre’s right-hand man came to Philly, he set out on a quest for marijuana, a quest that would place him directly in the path of Eve’s managers. It didn’t take long for a plan to be hatched, simple on paper. Eve would take on the role of the weed girl, and upon arriving to deliver said weed, her managers would win the right-hand man’s heart with an on-the-spot performance. “And that’s exactly what happened,” reflects Eve, during a conversation with Luc Belaire CEO Brett Berish.
“We got to this house. I stood up, they put on a tape, and I started rapping. And then he was like…what the fuck is happening?”
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Despite the awkward circumstances surrounding the initial showcase — presumably done without the benefit of weed — Dre’s consigliere was ultimately wooed by Eve’s rhyming ability. Before long, she had relocated to Los Angeles to record a demo for Dre, only to find herself dropped eight months later, with only one surviving song from her time with the label — “Eve Of Destruction,” a piano-driven banger off the Bulworth soundtrack. Despite a brief state of depression, it didn’t take long before she was presented with an opportunity: cyphering her way onto the Ruff Ryders roster, a team that would go on to embrace her as the “first lady.” In 1999, she dropped off her debut album Let There Be Eve…Ruff Ryders’ First Lady, produced in its entirety by Swizz Beatz.
Things tend to come full circle. See, Ruff Ryders was housed on Interscope, run under the watchful eye of Jimmy Iovine. The same man who happened to be one of Dre’s closest confidantes, and at the time, one of his lone supporters. With that in mind, Eve wasn’t entirely removed from the Good Doctor’s vicinity, and it’s likely he kept his eye on his former protege. When the time came for Eve to deliver her sophomore album, Dre returned to the fold once more. Of Scorpion’s sixteen tracks, two instrumentals were laced by the tandem of Dr. Dre and Scott Storch, who was actually introduced to Dre by Eve during her Aftermath tenure.
The first happens to be one of Eve’s biggest hits to date, the Gwen Stefani-assisted “Let Me Blow Ya Mind.” Dre’s drums are the first giveaway, as they often are: clean, massive, and never doing too much. Coming off the release of both his own 2001 and Eminem’s Marshall Mathers LP, his first Eve beat felt like a departure from his traditional sound. For one, it wasn’t dark or menacing in the slightest, but rather sensual, classy, and assertive. His bag of tricks does eventually open once more as the bassline slinks in, another telltale sign. Eve proved more than up to the task of blessing the instrumental, though doing so would once again find her facing an interesting challenge. One that many emcees have openly reflected on with equal parts fondness and frustration — the art of crafting a song with Dre. A notorious perfectionist, Dre would accept nothing less than his vision exactly as intended, sometimes leading to Stanley Kubrick-esque repetitions of single lines. In an interview with Live Nation, Eve likened their collaborative process to shadowboxing, recognizing that Dre’s studio methods ultimately led her to pen some of “the best records of her life.”
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Alas, the pair’s partnership only managed to yield a handful of tracks. Scorpion housed the aforementioned “Let Me Blow Ya Mind,” as well as the Styles P-assisted “That’s What It Is.” A darker counterpart to the Gwen Stefani duet, Eve and Pinero’s deep cut finds the Ruff Ryders navigating a simple yet hard-hitting instrumental, imbued with the Doc’s signature menace by way of a melancholic synth-string. “Heads boppin’ never fails once the Doc’s around,” raps Eve, as the piano arpeggio ascends and descends. “That’s What It Is” also gains additional credibility for being the lone collaboration between The Lox and Dre, and while it’s not a full collaboration, it’s a welcome crossover all the same.
Two years later, Dr. Dre and Eve would reunite once again on Eve-OLution, the Ruff Ryders’ rapper’s third studio album. As was the case with its predecessor, the album featured a pair of Dr. Dre beats, a near-mirror image to their last go-around. This time, Eve would set things off with “What,” a stylistic successor to “That’s What It Is” in sonic direction. Once again, Dre opts for an imposing minor-key piano over a one-two drum-arrangement, occasionally emphasizing a moment with a ghostly synthesizer. The track is easily one of the album’s hardest bangers, with Eve flexing her flow as she declares her newfound coldhearted temperament.
While it might have been tempting for Eve and Dre to continue along this warpath, it appeared they had grander designs in mind. “Satisfaction” is to Eve-OLution what “Let Me Blow Ya Mind” was to Scorpion; once more, Eve’s biggest hit arrived courtesy of Aftermath’s surgeon general. This time, Dre steered away from his bag of tricks, opting for a rare indulgence — working in the major key. With Mike Elizondo holding it down on the bass, Dre laces Eve with a low-end groove with an old-school feel, sliding in a few slick guitar riffs to keep momentum. It’s arguably one of the most out-of-character beats of Dre’s career, not quite triumphant but certainly feel-good. Those unfamiliar with his sound might not even recognize “Satisfaction” to be his handiwork, his identity revealed by a typically clean mix, and the presence of an orchestral string section.
Unfortunately, Eve-OLution marked an end to their partnership, though they would indeed ride again on Gwen Stefani’s classic “Rich Girl,” a standout single off 2004’s Love. Angel. Music. Baby. The track marked another interesting direction for Dr. Dre, who showcased his adaptability while working with a more pop-focused artist, allowing Eve to part ways with the Doc on a high note, which is to say setting the radio ablaze. Though their collaborative union only elicited five tracks, including two major singles, it’s evident that Eve and Dr. Dre found harmony in the studio, a pair of unlikely collaborators that bridged the gap between two of hip-hop’s powerhouse movements — Ruff Ryders and Aftermath Entertainment.
Tory Lanez Teases Spanish, Acoustic, & 80s Albums
Tory Lanez is gearing up for the most versatile string of releases of his career, inviting fans to vote what type of project they want to see first.
It’s a new age, and former Interscope signee Tory Lanez is officially a free agent. That being said, it’s high time for him to start releasing his self-described “best music,” which he’s been sitting on until his major-label deal wrapped up. The time has officially come, and Tory Lanez has officially taken to Instagram to launch a rollout of sorts.
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“I told you guys I wasn’t going to release none of my greatest music or most timeless music until I was out the deal and owned all my masters,” says Tory. “So now that I’m out and I own all my masters and publishing, I got these three projects I want to release. But I need your help on which one to release first cause they all themed totally different.” Before lifting the curtain on the stylistic nuts and bolts, he does clarify that each project runs between seven and eight songs deep.
Aside from his oft-teased Spanish album, Tory reveals he’s been sitting on an acoustic project as well, one that apparently sounds like “Ed Sheeran meets Adele meets some n***a from the hood.” Last but not least is the “80s” project, which Tory likens to the experience of hopping in a time machine and transporting back to the decade of synthesizers and John Hughes films.
He proceeds to encourage his fans to vote on which one they’d like to see first, with Justin Bieber going off-script with his own suggestion: “We need some Russian disco music from you fam.” Should you be interested in trying to sway Tory’s decision, head over to his IG page and follow the instructions within his caption. Which of the three is most intriguing to you?
Tory Lanez Apologizes For Dumbing Down Everything Before "Chixtape 5"
Tory Lanez is escaping his deal with Interscope Records and he has no problem putting them on blast one last time.
Tory Lanez considers himself of the best rappers in the world. In his mind, he can do this better than anybody else. While he has issued an apology for publicly stating his opinion, he knows that he can truly deliver some of the greatest music our ears have ever heard. That’s why he’s apologizing for “dumbing down” his creativity during the last several years, promising that everything on the horizon will be special.
As he prepares to exit his deal with Interscope Records, Tory Lanez is not holding back on revealing how trapped he felt with the label. According to him, he lost touch of his own creativity and “dumbed down” his music just to have something to deliver to the higher-ups.
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“This has been a huge journey for me and my fans and I apologize that mid way thru this, I had to dumb down my creativity, and not give y’all the 100% of quality in my music that y’all deserved to hear for so long,” wrote Lanez on Instagram, confirming that his deal with Interscope ends after The New Toronto 3 drops on Friday.
“The Chixtape 5 was the closest thing I’ve been able to give u that had somewhat of the quality of music that’s in store for y’all, at least up until now #NEWTORONTO3 …is a small taste of what’s to come … I DIDNT PUT ANY PROMO IN TO IT … BUT FUCK IT.”
Although he doesn’t clarify which projects he’s not proud of creatively, some fans are assuming that MEMORIES DON’T DIE and LoVE me NOw are included.
We can’t wait to see what Tory Lanez hits us with this week and moving forward.
The New Toronto 3 is officially out in two days.
Tory Lanez "The New Toronto 3": What To Expect
With Tory Lanez’s “The New Toronto 3” on the horizon, we speculate what you’ll be able to expect from the album.
Tory Lanez is unstoppable. Not in the sense of being the greatest of all time or wielding god-like power. No, Lanez is unstoppable in another way. Four years ago, Lanez debuted his album I Told You for Interscope Records. He generated a worthy buzz but wasn’t granted that next level of praise because another Canadian rapper/singer was flooding the airwaves. No worries. Lanez had already released over a dozen mixtapes prior to signing with Interscope, so he was no stranger to hard work. He went into the studio and came out with the mixtapes Chixtape IV and The New Toronto 2 before releasing his sophomore album, Memories Don’t Die. A few months later, Lanez’s third album dropped, Love Me Now? The sheer will power and work ethic of Lanez is what truly makes him unstoppable. His grind doesn’t appear to have any inkling of what “stopping” even means, it’s a driving force pushing his creative efforts.
After blessing Interscope with 4 albums and a handful of mixtapes, Lanez is ready for his departure project. Lanez announced the album, The New Toronto 3, and its release month on Twitter at the end of February. Although he tweeted that there was “no bad blood with the label,” fans of the artist know this to be untrue. Just a few months ago, Lanez hopped on social media to deliver a scathing warning to Interscope, asserting, “If y’all n***as don’t stop playing w/ me … I’ma expose what’s really going on in that fucking building!” Now that the relationship is coming to an official end, what should we expect from Lanez’s final album for Interscope?
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Bars
Lanez’s last album was Chixtape 5, which makes his shift to The New Toronto 3 thematically sound. Chixtape 4 was released alongside The New Toronto 2, so for Lanez to continue his penchant of placing these two mixtape projects near each other makes sense, at least from a continuity with fans perspective. What we determined from Chixtape 4 and The New Toronto 2 is that Lanez tends to shift to R&B bangers for one, and aims to keep it more hip-hop on the other. With that in mind, fans are expecting The New Toronto 3 to be more of a hip-hop/rap effort with Lanez showing off his lyrical strength. Chixtape 5 was a gorgeous and nostalgic R&B thrill ride, but let’s not forget Lanez can rap his ass off. Just based on his past moves, it looks like Lanez will be putting the bars front and center on this project. The first indication that this is correct comes by way of yesterday’s single, “W,” which is a nostalgic, bar-riddled effort.
Limited Collabs
The number of features on Chixtape 5 was impressive, and everyone played their part. And we know Lanez has several friends and peers in the industry he enjoys collaborating with. Still, The New Toronto 3 would work best as a lightly collaborative project. Lanez should keep the features to a minimum. It will give him the maximum amount of creative freedom while crafting his last piece of art for Interscope. Much like Jay-Z’s Black Album, Outkast’s ATLiens, or Nas‘ Stillmatic, the philosophy of including just a few other rappers on the record adds to the mysticism of the classic. We have seen Lanez go featureless before on his debut for Interscope, and it would be perfect timing to employ that method one more time.
Production
So far, fans have gotten two tracks from Lanez that are either on the new album, or are throwaways that almost made it. “Broke In A Minute” and “W” both came with colorful visuals that make us feel it’s the former option. “Broke In A Minute” features a repetitive horn that spirals around angrily as Lanez drops dizzying bars. “W” has a more cinematic instrumental, a calming vibe that is best suited for night time, introspective driving. Based on the two opposite directions in production we have seen so far, fans can expect an eclectic sound to this project. Since bars seem to be the center focus for Lanez, we expect him to explore beats that aren’t too complicated. “Broke In A Minute” and “W” may have different vibes, but they are both simplistic beats. This allows Lanez’s listeners to hear his bars more clearly– these beats were made for bars. Busy instrumentals weighed down by layers upon layers of samples or instrumentals that consistently evolve as the song progresses probably won’t make a big splash on The New Toronto 3. “W” was produced by Saint Mino & 2one2 and “Broke In A Minute” was crafted by Papiyerr. While Papiyerr has worked with Lanez on several occasions (“The Take,” “Jerry Sprunger,” “Luv Ya Gyal // Love Sounds”) Saint Mino & 2one2 are new to the Lanez catalog. This shows that Lanez will be experimenting with new production on this album as well.
Final Thoughts
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The clear cut path here for Lanez is to create a classic to leave Interscope on that is lyrically potent but still delivers radio quality singles. Lanez has earned plenty of success on Billboard with his more R&B sound; The New Toronto 3 must exceed those expectations from a hip-hop standpoint.
“I remember being so broke shit I ain’t wanna have no babies, We was project planning, the clip came with that black Mercedes,” raps Lanez on the new single “W”. “If you was pussy then, you pussy now, you can’t erase it, I never saw us becoming famous in my imagination, Sat in too many rooms with losers who was procrastinating.” His bars are vivid and the instrumental is eerily marvelous. This may just be a track that missed the cut, judging on its length, but it is still an indication of where Lanez is heading on this one. What would you like to hear from Lanez’s new album The New Toronto 3? Sound off in the comments below.