Social media users reacted negatively to Mario’s announcement of his “Main One” song with Tory Lanez. On Twitter Monday, the singer unveiled the cover art for the single and told fans about the release this Friday, writing, “S/O to my bro @torylanez! We went crazy tap in!”
Fans quickly resurfaced a tweet where Mario spoke candidly about the shooting incident between Megan Thee Stallion and Tory Lanez, where he focused on the need to “Protect black women.”
“This @theestallion & @torylanez situation got me in awe. Sad AF?” he wrote on Aug. 21, 2021. “Knowing Tory personally this s**t crazy to me. Black men, we gotta learn how to control our ego, anger, etc. at some point, the switch gotta turn off! Protect black women! Heal black men. Love & respect each other.”
This @theestallion & @torylanez situation got me in awe. Sad AF? Knowing Tory personally this shit crazy to me. Black men we gotta learn how to control our ego, anger etc. at some point the switch gotta turn off! Protect black women! Heal black men. Love & respect each other!
— Mario (@OHYESMARIO) August 22, 2020
“This you?” one Twitter user who shared a snapshot image of Mario’s tweet wrote.
“Mario had women swooning 2 weeks ago during and after that Verzuz,” another said, referencing the recent Verzuz battle between Mario and fellow R&B singer Omarion. “And now he’s about to completely undo all of that by putting out a record with Tory Lanez. Are artists’ teams really this stupid?”
Another Twitter user tweeted, “Mario doing a song with Tory Lanez doesn’t make a lick of sense. Did he not read the room?”
Mario seemed to recommit himself to working with Lanez. In an Instagram Live video, he said: “As an independent artist doing his thing, it’s a lot of artists that don’t work as hard as he do. Regardless of whatever, the music is what it is,” Mario said.