“I crawled so the streaming community could walk #quarantineradio.” Those are the words of Tory Lanez, in his Instagram Story on January 16, and they’ve ignited debate over the incarcerated Canadian rapper’s role in the rise of streaming. The bold claim came with a clip from one of his famous #QuarantineRadio livestreams from 2020, a series on Instagram Live which helped hold people down during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic.
But does Tory Lanez deserve credit for the streaming boom? Let’s dive into the origins of #QuarantineRadio, its impact, and the broader context of the streaming industry’s meteoric rise.
In March 2020, Tory Lanez launched #QuarantineRadio during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown as an avenue to entertain fans who were stuck indoors. With a playful radio announcer persona, he used Instagram Live to connect with fans, host impromptu musical performances, and engage celebrity guests such as 21 Savage, Chris Brown, T-Pain, Swizz Beatz, and Tyga.
The cultural phenomenon was #QuarantineRadio, reaping mass viewers and acting as a distraction that many needed in this time of crisis. The series wasn’t all about the music; community, interaction, and some sense of normalcy in a never-seen global crisis were in store for the people. The fans watched for the entertainment, but also for the humor, spontaneity, and relatable vibe that Tory brought into each livestream.
QuarantineRadio reached an ultimate high by breaking viewer records for its shows in thousands on Instagram Live. A staple of pandemic life and, all the more so, it was one example of technology connecting-people and near-people during isolated times.
Jump to 2025, and the world is dominated by streaming as one of the main forms of entertainment; among the celebrities are content creators like Kai Centa, iShowSpeed, and PlaqueBoyMax, who have gained their fame through Twitch, YouTube, and TikTok. These modern streamers-with messages of live gaming, music sessions, and interactive chats-build communities that may even outdo that which traditional media can offer.
While Tory Lanez’s #QuarantineRadio was certainly influential in its time, streaming was on an upward trajectory before 2020. Twitch and YouTube were established platforms, and gamers, musicians, and other creators were building sizeable audiences. The pandemic accelerated this growth, and Tory’s innovative use of Instagram Live arguably showed how artists could pivot to digital platforms to stay relevant and reach fans.
The question remains, did Tory Lanez actually pave the way for modern streamers, or was he just part of a wave that was already building up?
Tory Lanez is an artiste whose rise to fame gained a lot through #QuarantineRadio, but little did he and his fans anticipate that in July of 2020, he would be arrested over this shooting affair in connection with fellow artist Megan Thee Stallion. A shooting for which he was eventually arrested and finally battled in court through to the December 2022 conviction-cum-sentence of jail time for up to 10 years-a saga simply not going to leave his career and public image untainted.
These events brought an end to #QuarantineRadio and begged questions about its long-term influence. Though this series was groundbreaking in its moment, Tory’s legal troubles have complicated his legacy in a way that makes it difficult to discuss his contribution to the streaming revolution without controversy.
The latest claim Tory has made only polarized him further between praise and criticism from both his critics and fans, respectively. Still, his team insists that #QuarantineRadio was both a pioneer in employing social media in live engagement but also an inspiration to an entire wave of artists and music makers to have a go themselves at streaming work. To many fans, the series remains one of their fondest moments of the early pandemic period, and most credit Tory for filling that moment so well with great joy and connection to others.
Critics, on the other hand, note that streaming’s rise predates #QuarantineRadio. By 2020, the audiences for platforms like Twitch were already huge, and the pandemic accelerated an existing trend. Some say Tory’s influence, while notable, was not pivotal in shaping the broader landscape of streaming.