"OVO vs Roc Nation" — Netizens react as Drake shares petition link in favor of freeing Tory Lanez from jail
Following the news of Tory Lanez being stabbed in jail, Drake shared a petition on change.org calling for the incarcerated rapper's release. Taking to his Instagram Stories on Friday, the OVO musician mentioned Lanez, writing:
"come home soon"
Lanez, whose real name is Daystar Shemuel Shua Peterson, is currently serving a 10-year sentence. In 2023, a Los Angeles court found him guilty of shooting and injuring Megan Thee Stallion.
A fellow inmate identified as Santino Casio at the California Correctional Institution reportedly stabbed Lanez 14 times on Monday, May 12. According to a social media post on the rapper's official Instagram account, the wounds included "7 wounds to his back, 4 to his torso, 2 to the back of his head, and 1 to the left side of his face."
Despite the severity of the attack, Lanez has since recovered. Drake's call for his fellow Canadian rapper's release prompted reactions online. As Megan Thee Stallion is managed by Jay-Z's record label Roc Nation, while Drake is the co-founder of OVO Sound, one X user wrote:
"OVO VS ROC NATION"
Some were impressed by Drake's support for Tory Lanez and joined the 6 God rapper in calling for Lanez's release.
"I'm not a big fan of Drake but he was real for that," said one person.
"free tory we tired of the injustice," commented another.
"LETS GOOO PARDON TORY," chimed in one more.
Others, however, had a rather foreshadowing reaction, claiming Drake was next in the line of musicians who would go to prison.
"Drake is next, they got Chris brown already," wrote one netizen.
"They gon cancel him," said another.
"Oh yeah that's right they are both little b*tches from Canada so it makes sense," remarked one person.
Petition for Tory Lanez's prison release receives over 220K signatures
The change.org petition Drake shared on his Instagram Stories was started by Gianno Caldwell, founder of the Caldwell Institute for Public Safety. So far, the petition has received 224,720 signatures.
Addressing the letter to California Governor Gavin Newsom, Caldwell requested that Lanez's case be reviewed.
Caldwell cited alleged "significant irregularities, including prosecutorial misconduct, suppressed forensic evidence, and politically motivated decision-making" that purportedly plagued the case, leading to Tory Lanez's sentencing. He also argued that the Lady of Namek rapper's conviction was prompted by "the misuse of gun enhancement charges." Caldwell wrote:
"Mr. Peterson had no prior criminal record. Yet enhancements were pursued, amplifying his sentence far beyond what the facts, as described by his attorneys, appear to justify."
He added:
"Mr. Peterson was convicted of assault with a semiautomatic firearm, possession of a loaded, unregistered firearm in a vehicle, and negligent discharge. Regardless of the charges, his legal team argues the prosecution’s narrative was inconsistent, unsupported by physical evidence, and enhancements added for political gain."
Furthermore, Gianno Caldwell brought up Kelsey Harris, noting the shots were fired from the passenger side of the vehicle, where she was seated. He said no physical evidence has been found to prove Tory Lanez fired the shots, as his "DNA was not found on the magazine of the firearm."
Caldwell referenced the recent prison attack on Lanez:
"While incarcerated, Mr. Peterson was recently stabbed in prison—a tragic incident that underscores the urgency of his situation and the risk to his life while this case remains unaddressed."
The petition urged Governor Newsom to grant Tory Lanez "a full pardon" and "remove politically motivated sentencing enhancements."
