In 2014, Tory Lanez hit his stride with the releases of Chixtape 2 and Lost Cause. While he’s been building his Swavey (a term Tory came up with to describe his unclassifiable music) movement for years, his masterful songwriting—with soaring melodies, hard-hitting raps, crisp spinto tenor, and sneaky production skills—has brought the charismatic Toronto native awesome career opportunities of late and he’s working his ass off to take full advantage of them. His hot streak continues with new release Cruel Intentions, a superb collaborative EP with L.A.-based DJ collective WeDidIt.

AUX: What can you tell me about this WeDidIt project?

Tory Lanez: I can tell you that it’s amazing. I can tell you that it’s very short but it’s incredible music. It’s dope because it’s a collaborative thing with them and myself where these two different worlds of music are converging and pushing everything to a new height. I feel more musically inclined after this project too. It helped me.

You’ve worked with RL Grime and Ryan Hemsworth before. Is that what made you decide to do a whole project with the rest of the gang?

First and foremost, all these guys are my friends. It was one of those things we always kind of talked about whenever we see each other. Eventually, we just said, ‘Fuck it. Let’s do it. Let’s make it real, short, sweet, and to-the-point.’

Tell me how you felt about the response to your last release, Lost Cause. It’s the most personal thing you’ve released to date.

I remember setting high expectations for earlier projects but for Lost Cause, I just wanted to put it out. I liked the music on it and that was it. I didn’t know how it was going to go but people love it. Not that I was fabricating anything before but this one was just more personal to me. That was more of a project for me to be honest with myself.

You have a solid fanbase. You’re doing songs with stars (Ty Dolla $ign, Trina, Meek Mill, YG), working with sought-after producers (Benny Blanco, DJ Mustard, Noah Breakfast), and you’re always doing shows here and in the U.S. To a certain degree, you could say you’ve made it…

Nah, nah, nah. I didn’t make it. It’s all coming. I have a plan. I’m not gonna make it until I could go to Brazil and sell out a surprise show. I want everybody across the globe to know my music.

Between the albums, the videos, the guest appearances and the loosies you drop for Fargo Fridays, I’d say you’re keeping yourself busy. Why are you working so hard?

I always think about times when all I wanted to do was this. I dropped out of school, quit jobs, and just did a bunch of shit because I knew this is what I wanted to do. And I figured, if this is the only thing I’m going to do in my life, I have to be the best. The reason why I go so hard is because it can always be better, it can always be bigger. Even when you think something has reached its potential; it could always be something else.

Do you have any ideas where you might have gotten this work ethic from?

My mom died when I was 11. You know how you always want to make your mom proud? I want to make my legacy so big, I want to leave an impact on this world, so that when I see her again she’ll say, “I saw you.”

That’s beautiful. You’re only one man though. Don’t get me wrong. You’re talented as fuck, and I believe in you, but with you pushing yourself so hard what stops you from burning out?

Burning out? I was signed before all of this, when I was 18 years old. I’ve been here for five years. Everybody else that was around when I first came out, they’re on a decline. I’m on my improve. And I’ll tell you why. Because I’m not an artist. I’m an innovator. I don’t see hip-hop. I don’t see R&B. I see music.

Tory Lanez will be performing as part of Sled Island in Calgary on June 25 and 26 and at TIME Festival in Toronto on August 15.