JoJo Wasted No Time Taking Tory Lanez Off Her Deluxe Album
You may remember her as a child star, but JoJo is all grown up, and taking a stand against injustice. After Megan Thee Stallion claimed that rapper Tory Lanez shot her foot, JoJo quickly reacted to ensure that her fans know exactly where she stood on the matter. And the deluxe version of her newest album, Good to Know, seemed like the perfect way to do it.
Success started early for JoJo
JoJo, whose full name is Joanna Noelle Levesque, started her music career early in life. After appearing on several TV shows, like America’s Most Talented Kids, and Kids Say the Darndest Things, she released her debut self-titled album at the age of 13, according to Christian Post. For such a young girl, JoJo had an incredibly soulful voice, and the record immediately became a hit. It reached platinum status, bolstered by the 2004 single Leave (Get Out), a pop hit that made her the youngest solo artist in Billboard history to have a number one song.
JoJo’s success continued with her second album, The High Road, in 2006. However, when it came time to release her third, she ran into problems with her record company, Blackground Records. The delay had major repercussions on her career. Fans endlessly waited for a new release but spent years in disappointment. A resolution finally came 10 years later, when JoJo decided to sue the label, reports The Hollywood Reporter.
The suit claimed that Blackground Records caused JoJo to suffer “irreparable damage to her professional career” by not allowing her to release a third album. It also claimed that because she was a minor when she signed on, she couldn’t be bound for longer than seven years due to laws in both New York and California.
Finally, at the end of 2013, JoJo and Blackground came to an agreement outside of court. The suit was dropped, and she was released from her contract.
JoJo is no longer a child
JoJo signed with Atlantic in 2014 and began work on her third album, Mad Love. But her music wasn’t the same as many fans remember. Over the many years she spent battling her record label, JoJo had become a woman, and her lyrics reflected that.
The change was first apparent in a mix-tape titled Agap, which was released at the age of 22. Instead of the sweet, bubble-gum pop that JoJo sung when she was 13, the new music dealt with drinking, sex, and complex relationship issues.
“My mom is probably the one that’s the most freaked out,” JoJo explained to Billboard. “She sent an e-mail to my young cousins and told them not to listen to it because it’s inappropriate. I can understand why some people might be taken aback or say ‘Oh gosh, what happened to sweet little JoJo?’ She’s still there, but she’s 22 and she has her moments, dammit!”
Now, JoJo is 29, and she just released her fourth studio album, Good to Know, under her own label, Clover Music. Although it received positive reviews, she hasn’t quite regained her former success when it comes to sales. This is the first album of her career which didn’t premiere in the top 10 of the Billboard charts.
However, her core fan base is still excited to see new music from the artist. JoJo released a deluxe version of Good to Know on September 28, but the album came with some last minute changes.
JoJo removed Tory Lanez from her album
Just a week before the deluxe release, JoJo confirmed on Twitter that she was pulling her collab with Tory Lanez, titled Comeback. The news came shortly after a fellow artist, Megan Thee Stallion, claimed that Lanez shot her in the foot.
Lanez denied shooting Megan Thee Stallion in the lyrics of his newest album, Daystar. But JoJo still claimed that removing him from her work was the right thing to do. When a fan asked JoJo if the rumor of Lanez removal from her album was correct, the star tweeted, “Def took him TF off.”
She further explained the decision in a statement to Billboard, “It felt like the right and necessary thing to do, out of respect and love for Meg,” JoJo said. Lanez has since been charged for the shooting, reports NPR.
Fans looking for a good collab can still find other artists on the Good to Know deluxe version, including Demi Lovato and Tinashe.
