Memories Don't Die

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Though the title of Tory Lanez's second album may certainly refer to the rapper and singer's reluctance to forgive or forget his many beef, the penultimate track on 2018’s <i>MEMORIES DON'T DIE</i> suggests there's a more deeply personal meaning, too. On "Happiness x Tell Me," he shares a poignant account of the day he learned his mother died, comparing the shadow of grief descending on his family to "this green cloud just coming over u." After getting so raw and personal, he turns the moment into a challenge to the doubters and critics who now ought to know "everything is real about me." Lanez's ability to shift between such shows of vulnerability and harder-edged displays of defiance and bravado is a big reason why <i>MEMORIES DON'T DIE</i> is so compelling. Another is the growing sophistication of his creative approach in both lyrical and musical term. Both come together in full force in "Shooter," which combines a high-tension trap production by C-Sick with Lanez's cocksure rhymes about the many spoils of his success since first signing with benny blanco's Mad Love label three years prior. The producer contributes another of the album's standouts with "Real Thing," in which Lanez hands the MC duties to Future while he shows off his silky vocal delivery. A generous host to his friends and allie, Lanez proves to be just as versatile alongside the many other guest, including 50 Cent on the alternately dreamy and driving "Pieces" and Wiz Khalifa on "Hillside," a moodier track in which Lanez offers another chance to consider his "real side" over a groove designed for late-night ride. .

via Apple Music

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