Think, Family Guy. Now think an entire episode dedicated to Quagmire. New Toronto 3.
In an interview with Ebro Darden, Tory Lanez said, "I didn’t want to give the team(Interscope Records)` those records that I felt like were Earth changing records. That’s why I haven’t really released none of my real golden songs.”
Insert, The New Toronto 3--Lanez' third installment from his rap-focused mixtape series.
It's been over four years since Lanez started The New Toronto series, and since then, Lanez's rapping style has grown from early 2010's Future clone to something almost his own.
The New Toronto 3 proves that Tory Lanez is a respectable rapper, but like a track star that spends his fall playing cornerback, it's clear that this isn't what he does best.
Throughout the album, Lanez tries to force the listener to take him seriously as a rapper.
He raps for almost three minutes straight at Meek Mill-like rates on "Adidas" and tells coke boy stories that Pusha T would be proud of on "Dope Boy's Diary". But in doing so, he overplays his hand and exposes his own rapping ability.
The New Toronto 3 will probably fool a lot of listeners. It fooled me the first two listens.
From the delivery to the subject matter to the storytelling, The New Toronto 3 does a really good job of posing as a rap album, and it would've gotten away with it if it weren't for one corny Coronavirus line.
"Bitch I'm openin' the fire/Catchin bodies like Corona in the virus," Lanez raps on "Dope Boy's Diary".
Similar to the fake fruit scene in the Interview, that one line opened my eyes to the full picture of The New Toronto 3 and Tory Lanez rapping in general.
No matter how many deliveries Lanez perfectly executes and no matter how many great stories Lanez tells in his verses, he's not a good enough rapper to demand attention across an entire project.
"Dope Boy's Diary" is a track full of potential, as Lanez details failed relationships, dodging the police and the things he'd do for money, but while telling this detailed story, Lanez is also delivering low-quality similies like the aforementioned Corona line and "the Birdman with me like Wayne in New Orleans."
The lines aren't terrible, but they do slap the listener back to the reality of Tory Lanez not being the level of rapper he poses to be on this project, and once that becomes revealed other moments that initially seem like highlights start to become questionable.
For example, "Letter To The City 2".
The track is a summary of much of the album; on the first few listens, Lanez's delivery and detailed storytelling are so impressive that it's hard to notice you're listening to a replica of a song you already like.
"Letter To The City 2" is as good as a Drake "30 for 30 Freestyle" remake can be.
The flow is calm, but the lyrics are aggressive. Lanez opens the door to his past problems while remaining confident in the future. He even one-ups Drake's "Party just dipped off in a white Porshe" line by naming the accomplishments of six of his artists.
Drake has some of the best outro tracks in all of rap, so the fact that Lanez created such a high-quality replica is arguably just as much a positive as it as negative.
But, with that being said, the best moments of The New Toronto 3 comes when Tory Lanez is being Tory Lanez.
After starting his music career as a chameleon of the top sounds in the industry, Lanez has found his distinct sound over his last few projects, and when that sound is put on display, The New Toronto 3 reaches its peak.
Lanez perfectly transitions from the lively "Stupid Again" into one of the best songs on the album, "10 F*cks".
The decision to sing rather than rap on "10 F*cks" makes all the difference, as lines like "Can't believe she got me cuffed up like a cop though," are far more forgivable when they're not delivered as if they're top-tier bars.
The track is fast-paced and fun, but it's not empty like similar sounding songs. And that ability is arguably Tory Lanez's best attribute.
Even though Lanez told Ebro that he was keeping his best records from Interscope, he gives the label a few memorable goodbye presents like "Penthouse Red", "Who Needs Love" and "Broke In a Minute".
Score: Second Sport/10
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