In July of 2020, hip-hop artists Tory Lanez and Megan Thee Stallion left a party in Los Angeles. Prosecutors say that at some point, an altercation escalated between the two, resulting in Lanez firing at Stallion and causing injuries to both feet.

Stallion underwent surgery to remove bullet fragments, and Lanez was charged with felony assault in October of 2020.

Ultimately, Lanez was charged with assault with a semi-automatic firearm, having a loaded, unregistered firearm in a vehicle, and discharging a firearm with gross negligence. He was found guilty and sentenced to 10 years in prison on Aug. 8, 2023.

Now, Lanez is seeking assistance from the Long Beach-based legal organization Unite The People, where Lanez once served as a board member.

In 2021, Lanez donated $50,000 to pay off the legal fees for 30 families working with Unite the People, stating, “Going through my own situations, I can understand how the legal system can be.”

The nonprofit, founded in 2016 by Cesar McDowell, promotes social justice in the area of legal and judicial reform throughout the United States. Typically, it helps people who have been over-sentenced by the justice system because they couldn’t afford high-powered attorneys.

So why is Unite the People helping Lanez, who had the means to hire attorneys and fight the charges? On this episode of The Word with Jackie Rae, attorneys Crystal Morgan and Michael Hayden explain why they think Lanez was treated unfairly.

To learn more about Unite The People, you can visit their website here.