As is usually the case with the Rap Recording of the Year award, the winner is announced at the Gala event the night before the actual JUNO Awards ceremonies.
This year’s winner is Tory Lanez for his third studio album, LoVE me NOw?, released through Mad Love Records and Interscope Records in Oct. 2018. It peaked at the No. 4 spot on Billboard’s Canadian Albums chart. He’ll have to wait until tonight to find out how he does in the Fan Choice Award and Artist of the Year categories.
Tory Lanez in “Freaky”
The album was up against some stiff competition including Belly’s Immigrant, 88Glam’s self-titled album, KILLY’s Surrender Your Soul, and Reckless by NAV.
If you slept on LoVE me NOw?, we’ve got you covered. You can stream the project below via Spotify.
In other Tory Lanez news, the Canadian star is featured on T-Pain’s new project, 1UP, and released a new single of his own on Friday called “Freaky.” It’s his first official solo drop of 2019 and he released the single with a fresh Christian Breslauer-directed video to accompany it. He is also in the midst of his Assassination Vacation Tour with Drake and gearing up to drop four new projects in 2019 including LoVE me NOw? Reloaded (the JUNO-winning album repackaged), the highly anticipated Chixtape 5, Cause, his Spanish album El Agua, and New Toronto 3.
Congrats to Tory on the big win.
Tory Lanez – Freaky
Tory Lanez – LoVE me NOw?
“For Toronto native Tory Lanez, more is more. The braggadocious singer/rapper has released more than 20 mixtapes, albums, and EPs, stretching into new styles and building a reputation as a zealous collaborator. On his third proper studio album, he flexes his network. ‘My whole thing was trying to dive into everybody’s different lanes, to be diverse with the features and make sure they weren’t all, like, Atlanta-based,’ he told Beats 1 host Zane Lowe. ‘I wanted to make sure everybody was from everywhere, that it was an all-around collaborative effort.’
Arriving just a few months after his second album, the shape-shifting Memories Don’t Die, LoVE me NOw? employs bigger melodies, more Auto-Tune, and enough guests to fill a red carpet (Meek Mill, 2 Chainz, Chris Brown, and others). Together, they pay tribute to Lanez’s adopted hometown of Miami—all yachts, Jet Skis, and beautiful women—in breezy, top-down songs about living the high life. ‘You know gangstas don’t die,’ Lanez sings, hat-tipping JAY-Z’s ‘Reservoir Dogs.’ ‘They get chubby and they move to Miami.’”
You can follow @ToryLanez on Instagram.
