NEWS
Although Tory Lanez’s career has continued to gain momentum during his incarceration, the rapper remains caught up in several serious challenges. His efforts to overturn his conviction were recently blocked by the California Supreme Court, and he is also still coping with the consequences of being stabbed in prison. Lanez launched a $100 million lawsuit in California over the attack in April, but the case has now encountered another obstacle.
Court documents submitted on July 29 show that the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, known as CDCR, believes the federal court has no authority to hear claims against the agency. According to AllHipHop, CDCR is asking the judge to permanently dismiss Lanez’s complaint, meaning his attorneys would not be allowed to revise and submit it again.
The legal action stems from the May 2025 assault on Lanez while he was serving time at California Correctional Institution in Tehachapi. Authorities claimed fellow prisoner Santino Casio used a makeshift weapon to stab the artist 16 times in the head, face, back and torso. Lanez suffered two punctured lungs and had to be flown to a Bakersfield hospital for emergency treatment. He was placed on a ventilator before eventually recovering.
Lanez later opened up about the emotional toll of the attack during an interview. “Truthfully, I’ve done my best to keep my head above water, but mentally, I’ve gone through trauma that I sometimes even struggle with,” Lanez shared.
Attorneys representing Lanez argue that prison authorities did not take proper steps to keep him safe, even though Casio reportedly had a lengthy record of violent behavior and disciplinary infractions while incarcerated. The lawsuit further claims officers were slow to intervene and did not use emergency procedures that may have reduced the severity of Lanez’s wounds.
In addition to the financial compensation being requested, Lanez’s lawyers claim officials took notebooks containing his unreleased songs and never gave them back.
CDCR argues that the federal civil rights law referenced in the lawsuit does not allow the agency to be named as a defendant. It also maintains that the Eleventh Amendment shields it from the federal and state claims included in Lanez’s complaint.
Fontaines D.C. have teamed up with Rosalía for their new collaboration, Where Is Gone?.
The song features on the Irish rock band's forthcoming album, Dopamine Chamber, which arrives on Friday (16.10.26). For guitarist Carlos O’Connell, working with the Spanish superstar is particularly special because of his own Spanish roots.
He explained: “I’ve admired Rosalía ever since her debut album, which I thought was absolutely beautiful.
“What excited me most was the way she continued to preserve Spain's musical traditions, something that felt spiritually connected to what we've been trying to achieve with Irish music. Having roots in both countries, it's been really special to witness. "She's an artist who has continued to amaze me at every point in her career.”
Frontman Grian Chatten has also described the collaboration with Rosalía as one of the most memorable achievements of his career.
He revealed that he felt "humbled" when she agreed to lend her voice to the band's album.
Speaking to NPR, Grian said: “I've always felt there's something almost like a single big idea that I'm personally trying to communicate to the world before I get old and die, if that makes sense. There's one thing I think I'll spend my life trying to express. I have a feeling she has a similar outlook. … I mean, she's an amazing arranger, composer and lyricist. It means so much that she wanted to sing on something we'd put together. It's definitely one of the highlights of my career.”
Rosalía's links to Irish rock music extend beyond Fontaines D.C. She also offered inspiration and helped develop the Spanish lyrics for U2's The Mirror Maker (Rosalía), a track from their forthcoming album, Carnaval de Luz.
During an appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon last week, she spoke about frontman Bono, saying: “I don't know him personally, but he sent me a text explaining that he was working on a new project and had written a song called The Mirror Maker."
Rosalía joked that Bono had invented a few words of his own.
She recalled telling him: “I wasn't sure what to make of it, but I told him he could create his own language if he wanted to.”
She described the opportunity to collaborate with the 66 year old music veteran as a real privilege.
She added: “Bono is a legend.
“It's amazing.”
Bono recently revealed that he was worried about seeming like a stalker when he reached out to Rosalía to ask whether he could name the song after her.
