who is drake's tour manager

Find anything you save across the site in your account

Drake’s Manager Oliver El-Khatib On the Secrets To OVO’s Success

Ask Oliver El-Khatib—the mastermind behind Drake’s catchall branding entity, October’s Very Own—what he does for a living and he’ll tell you simply, “I manage Drake’s career with my partner, Future [the Prince]. I’m a worker.”

El-Khatib’s career is proof that in today’s noisy and fractured business landscape, humility, work ethic, and, most of all, authenticity are what will break you through. Early on, Drake and El-Khatib realized that in order to change music, Drake had to offer music a change. “I remember guys walking around Caribana”—that’s Toronto’s Caribbean carnival—“talking like they’re from New York, to impress girls,” El-Khatib says. So they went the other way: Instead of downplaying the pinched Canadian accents, the snow boots and down parkas, and the local West Indian influences, they doubled down on them. “We took the flaws and flipped it,” El-Khatib says. “We Eminem’d it.”

Drake performs at OVO Fest

OVO’s summer 2016 Know Yourself collection.

Cut to 2016, and Drake and OVO have single-handedly put Toronto on the map. They’ve given the city a cool new handle—The 6—and been given the keys. They’ve partnered with the insurgent Toronto Raptors. They’ve launched a music festival called OVO Fest, with everyone from Stevie Wonder to OutKast performing alongside the hometown hero turned mogul.

Under El-Khatib’s guidance, Drake and OVO have come to dominate American culture from their satellite city to the north by continuing to zig when everyone else zags. The OVO clothing line zigged to branded sweats when everyone was zagging to high-fashion collaborations. They zigged to Apple Music when TIDAL was assembling the Avengers of pop—and El-Khatib now hosts the crew’s weekly show on Apple’s Beats 1 radio. When entertainers flocked to Adidas to launch sneaker collabs, Drake went to Jordan Brand. Under the OVO umbrella, Drake continues to create camp-out-or-get-left-out moments in culture while steering unscathed through high-risk, high-reward SNL -hosting duties and smashing the hell out of the Billboard charts.

So how can the rest of us apply that OVO magic to our own lives? Easy: Know yourself, be yourself, and believe in yourself. “No one is going to tell you that you’re making the right move,” El-Khatib says. “But you have to have blind faith. I just had a sickness—a sick belief that it’s all going to work out.”

El-Khatib, photographed in Toronto

Ravi Shelton is more than a tour manager, he’s a live show magician able to make problems disappear for artists like Drake and Cardi B . For nearly 20 years, he’s seen first-hand what it takes to get A-list artists to make unforgettable moments on the stage.

“About five or six people knew about it when he brought out JAY . He would say, ‘I’m going to bring my guy, we’re going to do our record, and I promise it’s going to shut it down,’” Shelton told REVOLT of his time working with Jeezy . “But he wouldn’t tell us who it was until two days before. I think we had to give him $75,000 for the jet and he covered all the other costs.”

In this installment of “Tour Tales,” Cardi B and Drake’s tour manager explains how LeBron James ended up on Drake’s stage performing with Travis Scott . He also talks Cardi B climbing the rafters at Made in America and why none of your favorite live show moments would’ve happened without a good team .

When did you get started in live shows?

When I worked at a company called Radio One, I used to produce shows in Miami called Scream Fest back in 2003/2004. I used to also produce this show in Atlanta called Birthday Bash from 2007 to 2014.

Birthday Bash has produced some amazing live moments. What were your favorite moments from Birthday Bashes you produced?

There have been a couple. We had one where Usher brought out T.I., Nelly, Lil Wayne, Kelly Rowland and a bunch of people. We had Jeezy bring out JAY-Z once. We had Jeezy bring out Kanye West. 2 Chainz brought out Drake once . It was always about the shock factor.

How do you prepare for that as a producer when it comes to bringing out an artist of JAY-Z’s stature?

We were working with Jeezy’s management at the time, Kinky B. Jeezy used to always nickname himself ‘Mr. Birthday Bash’ for years because he’d always bring someone out every year, and it would be a crazy experience. About five or six people knew about it when he brought out JAY. He would say, ‘I’m going to bring my guy, we’re going to do our record, and I promise it’s going to shut it down.’ But he wouldn’t tell us who it was until two days before. I think we had to give him $75,000 for the jet and he covered all the other costs. We got the money to him, and I remember meeting with him and Kink at Gladys Knight’s Chicken & Waffles restaurant. I was also with this woman who was helping me produce it. He was like, ‘Yo, I’m going to bring JAY-Z.’ We looked at each other like, ‘What?’ They had the song ‘Go Crazy (Remix).’ JAY comes out and gets maybe eight bars in at the show before the whole arena is in an uproar. He couldn’t even finish his verse. At that point, they stopped the song and Jeezy was like, ‘Do you want to do something else?’ JAY was like, ‘I’ll do a little something.’ Then, he performed a few songs. The only time you were getting a JAY-Z show is if JAY came there on tour . We had those relationships where we give the platform, and the artist just delivers.

It was the same thing with 2 Chainz bringing out Drake . Chainz was like, ‘Yo, I want to bring Drake. I just need y’all to cover the jet.’ I had a great relationship with Drake; I’ve known him and his crew for years. When I was talking to his manager at the time, he was like, ‘We want to come. We’re going to make it happen . Y’all just have to keep it a secret.’ There were only two or three people who knew.

You can’t predict everything that’s going to happen on tour. So, what are some problems you had to handle on the fly at a show?

When we did Bonaroo with [Cardi B], we all wear in-ear [monitors] when she’s performing, and I have a mic I can talk to her on that she can hear. I told her while she was performing, ‘Your ass is out.’ She looked over when she was performing like, ‘What?’ I was like, ‘Next song, go to stage left.’ She goes stage left, and her stylist is there and tells her, ‘Just take this outfit off.’ Moments like that stay burned in your brain .

How do you adapt to crucial moments like that so quickly?

You have to have an amazing team. The motto is always, ‘The show must go on.’ You never want to upset the patron that’s coming to see the artist . In those moments, Cardi’s stylist was like, ‘I need two minutes.’ By the time Cardi got to the side, the stylist was already ready with two outfits and two robes. Her DJ played two songs and she was back on stage. You have to be able to move on the fly and anticipate the craziest stuff. It’s all about the team.

Let’s back up a bit. I know you did Birthday Bash for seven years. How did you get into touring?

I got into it through Tina Farris. I met her in 2011 and we became really good friends . I would tell her, ‘I’m going on the road’ and she’d be like, ‘Yeah, yeah, whatever.’ I remember she called me asking, ‘Can you fill in for me for two weeks?’ I was like, ‘Cool,’ thinking it was going to be a little baby act. Then she told me, ‘The client is Lauryn Hill.’ At first, we did a show at some bar in L.A. Then, we went to Austin, Texas. Ms. Hill and I hit it off instantly. I never look at artists like they’re on this pedestal. I just treat them like regular people. I’m not a yes-man. I’m not here to just say ‘yes’ and give you whatever you want . We had a great working relationship. I worked with her from 2015 to 2017. We still talk ‘til this day. Whenever I’m in Jersey, I try to go see her.

You’ve made the impossible possible for so many shows. What’s been your favorite miracle you’ve made happen?

Drake and Meek Mill performing after the beef on the ‘Aubrey & the Three Migos Tour’ in 2018. We wanted to do it in Philly, but we had to first do it in Boston. We did it in Boston and it was insane, so we had to do it in Philly. When we got to Philly, everyone was thinking it was going to happen, so we didn’t do it the first night. When we did it the second night, it was insane. On that tour alone, I probably had four [miracles]. The night we had Travis Scott perform with Drake at the Staples Center when LeBron came on stage with them is one. JAY-Z and Beyoncé were watching the show. LeBron and his squad were watching the show. When we took LeBron backstage , he told Drake, ‘I want to come on stage when you guys do ‘Sicko Mode.’’ He was so hyped. I remember going to get him and JAY was like, ‘What are you doing?’ LeBron was like, ‘I’m going on stage to be a rapper for 10 minutes.’ He was so excited to go on stage for that part.

What goes into making a Lauryn Hill show?

It’s like a pot of gumbo. It’s going to be good, but you have to take your time with it (laughs). With Ms. Hill, we have the band and everybody there, but talent is going to go on stage when talent wants to go on stage. We were getting her on stage on time from the end of 2016-May 2017 before I left. I don’t know what happened, but there was a show she came out an hour late . The next time was an hour and a half. I started seeing all of the articles. This lady was our tour director, Rebekah Foster, and I’d go to her like, ‘OK, today, who’s going to be the bad cop and who’s going to be the good cop?’ We worked out this system where she’d go in like, ‘Hey, we need to start moving’ and I’d come in like, ‘Hey, they’re not going to pay you if you don’t go on stage in the next 20 minutes.’

When did you start working with Drake?

I started working with Drake in 2018. Before I was with Drake , I was with this kid SuperDuperKyle. He was about to go on tour with Logic and he was doing Coachella. At the top of 2018, they asked me if I would go on tour with him. They had a guy who was working with him by the name of Jesus . That was his best friend and he wanted to learn how to be a tour manager. He didn’t really know. They asked if I would come in for six months so this kid could learn from me. I did Coachella with them and showed him how to break down a set. I guided him through production and how to become a tour manager. Now, Jesus is his tour manager. I was with them until August 2018. The last show I did was August 1, 2018 and then I went straight into the Drake shit. We started in Missouri or something. I remember us doing 2 1/2 weeks of rehearsal and then we started. I remember Drake saw me and was like, ‘What are you doing?’ I told him, ‘I’m tour managing this tour.’ He was like, ‘You’ve been on so many tours with us. How is this your first time as tour manager?’ I used to go on tour with them because my guy and I used to do all of their afterparties. ‘Would You Like A Tour?’ in 2013, ‘Summer Sixteen,’ we did all of them. So, Drake was like, ‘You’re going to be the tour manager? Oh, this is going to be the most lit tour ever.’

What were some of the biggest responsibilities you had working with Drake?

He’s one of the most hospitable people when he has guests coming in town. For example, the same night JAY and Beyoncé came to his show, LeBron and his crew came. We had a VIP riser that held maybe 150 people on two different tiers. For JAY, Beyoncé and LeBron, he put couches up there. He put their favorite wine. He had bartenders on each side to cater to them. He got JAY and Beyoncé’s rider and gave them a dressing room with all of their shit on their rider. He put their favorite wine. He put the apple juice she likes. If you’re an invited guest of Drake’s, you’re getting the best experience. We’ve had almost everybody come to see his show. Michelle Obama came to the show in London. One of her daughters came when we were in D.C. Secret Service met with us and said, ‘Hey, we’re going to bring Sasha.’ Sasha came backstage. We did our prayer before every show and Drake was like , ‘Hey, I want Sasha to be in the prayer with us.’

When we got to Chicago, Virgil [Abloh] came because he and Drake were good friends. We made sure Virgil could pull his truck all the way in. Virgil chilled in Drake’s dressing room until the show started. Then, we escorted him to the VIP riser. These are Drake’s friends. At the end of the night, Virgil was like, ‘Y’all were really on point. Y’all took care of me. I’m going to try to come back for the next few nights.’ He was like, ‘Can I just hit y’all?’ He would hit me every night and we’d set it up. We did that for so many people. It got crazy in Paris because you had the soccer players. In London, we had soccer players .

Ravi Shelton with Drake’s engineer/producer Noah “40” Shebib

How dedicated is Drake to his live show?

We had three creative teams working on content when he built this show. We had people living in this arena doing this content and building out the show. That full LED stage took us two months to get to that point. Two other stages got built and then scrapped. He was thinking they could project so many different, crazy content things that’ll look amazing. He wanted it to be seamless. He’s hands-on involved with everything. If the show is in two hours, he’s like, ‘Let’s look at the content. I’ll tell you what I don’t like and what I do.’ On the Drake staff for that tour , we probably had 170 people on staff. He and Future would come up with some of the concepts, and then they’d sit down with the design team, content team, video team, production team, lighting team and pyro team. It literally takes a village to pull off all of this stuff. Everybody has to be involved with every aspect of it to pull it off. It’s crazy. I think we had two issues on the U.S. tour where the pyro caught fire twice and we had to bring the stage down to put the pyro out. Other than that, I don’t think we had any issues after that.

How did you connect with Cardi?

The Migos were on the Drake tour and I’ve known Coach K for 18 years. I knew Coach K when he used to manage Jeezy . Coach was like, ‘You’re so organized. I love the way you move. I’d love to bring you in for Cardi.’ I was like, ‘Alright, cool. Let’s set up a meeting.’ The Drake tour ended in November and he was like, ‘ Let’s have a meeting at the top of January.’ I went and met with them around the time the Super Bowl was in Atlanta. She was like, ‘What can you do?’ I broke it all down and she was like, ‘Let’s give it a shot.’ They were going to the Grammys in a few weeks and Coach and P were like, ‘Come to the Grammys , assess everything that’s going on, and tell us what needs to change.’ I went to the Grammys and saw her entire show. I go back to Atlanta and I send them this 10-paragraph email. I don’t hear from them for a month. I was thinking, ‘I guess I didn’t get the job,’ so I went on the European run with Drake. That went from March until the end of April . Coach and P hit me at the end of April like, ‘Yo, we didn’t hear from you.’ I told them, ‘I sent you guys an email.’ They told me, ‘The email went to spam.’ They wanted to do a conference call when they saw it and they hired me to join Cardi’s team. I came in and the first few things I did with her were in June when we did BET Awards , one-off shows, and Bonaroo. We built a rapport. I always kept it 100 with her. I never sugarcoated anything. She’d ask me, ‘ What do you think of this song? ’ I’d tell her, ‘It’s cool but it’s not a hit.’ In 2019, we did so much. We went to Africa together. In 2020, the pandemic hit.

What was going through your mind when she climbed the side of the Made In America stage in 2019?

I was like, ‘ If this motherfucker falls .’ The day before, we were at rehearsal and her security was on the stage. I usually stand on the stage but off to the side. I thought I’d stand near this ladder for some reason so she doesn’t climb up it during the performance. In rehearsal, she was like, ‘ I might climb this ladder .’ I was like, ‘No, you’re not.’ She was like, ‘Yes, I am.’ I was like, ‘No, you’re not.’ She was like, ‘You’re not the boss of me.’ I thought she was joking. Sure enough, I’m standing on the side of the stage and she comes running over there and starts climbing the ladder . I told security to get his ass over there, so he ran over there. It was crazy. I was literally freaking out while my phone was blowing up from Live Nation people while this was happening.

Cardi still hasn’t had a nationwide tour yet.

We’re actually planning the tour now , and we were talking about it. She was supposed to go on separate tours with Post Malone, Maroon 5, and Bruno Mars but couldn’t because she got pregnant and had other reasons.

What do you have coming up for the rest of the year?

Drake is tentative; we’re trying to map out his tour now. Cardi is going to do festivals this summer, like Wireless Festival, and then we have some stuff to plan for the fall. I don’t just do touring for Cardi . I oversee all the business stuff for her. Tina hit me recently like, ‘Do you want to do Something In The Water with me for Syd?’ I told her, ‘I probably could do it for you.’ Then she said, ‘ Do you want to work at The Roots Picnic with me?’ I told her, ‘I can’t do all of these.’ I can do a few days, but I can’t when it becomes more than that. I have too much going on.

Everything We Know About Drake's Manager Oliver El-Khatib

Here is a closer look at el-khatib's rise.

Behind every great artist is an equally great manager. Having an excellent manager is essential to an artist (especially in the early stages of their career when they are building a name for themselves), and can arguably be a make or break component to success. Every musician has one, including Drake, and today we are looking at OVO founder Oliver El-Khatib. Not much is known about El-Khatib as he lives a private life and prefers for the spotlight to be focused on his artists, but here is what we do know. 

According to a Billboard article written by Karen Bliss in June 2014, the Toronto-bred mastermind grew up heavily inspired by skateboarding and highly influenced by music. El-Khatib was involved with a DJ crew called the Lebanon Dons, where he eventually met OVO co-founder and producer Noah “40” Shebib. According to Bliss, El-Khatib was more interested in having a career in the fashion industry at that time, taking a volunteer position at the local clothing store Lounge.

Lounge just happened to be across the street from the famed tv-show MuchMusic , and the store turned into something of a cultural landmark where you could find the latest urban fashion and apparel. While El-Khatib hasn’t discussed his time at Lounge in-depth, one can only assume that he was meeting and forming connections with different musicians and celebrities. MuchMusic is basically the Canadian version of TRL. Many famous artists such as Jay-Z, Prince, Beyonce have stopped by over the years to perform their latest releases and give interviews. 

As time went by, Lounge became one of the most talked-about fashion stores in the Toronto area, and it was there that El-Khatib met another young prodigy by the name of Drake. Now it’s unclear exactly when the two met in terms of a specific date or year, and since the Toronto scene is a small world, they could have very well known each other in passing before officially becoming friends and business partners. What we do know, however, is that they started working together in 2012, joining forces to create OVO Media.

As far as the other powerhouses that he works and collaborates with at OVO, Lebanon Dons, and Noah “40” Shebib, El-Khatib met them through Lounge and hanging out with Drake. El-Khatib, Lebanon Dons, and Drake experienced instant success upon launching OVO Media, with El-Khatib putting the emphasis on authenticity and representing Toronto to the fullest.

According to a 2016 GQ piece written by Mark Anthony Green, it wasn’t unfamiliar to see Toronto men taking on a “New York persona,” and they both decided to separate themselves by going in the opposite direction. El-Khatib told Green, “Instead of downplaying the pinched Canadian accents, the snow boots and down parkas, and the local West Indian influences, they doubled down on them. We took the flaws and flipped it. We Eminem’d it.”

That decision wound up working in their favorite big time. When you think of Toronto, you automatically think of Drake. When the Toronto Raptors won the championship in 2019, Drake was infamously on the sideline getting chastised by the referees for being in the way during the games and kept the Larry O’ Brien trophy in his possession for a few days (he was also front in the center and the parade). OVO Fest has become a widely anticipated music festival that features some of the world’s biggest music stars, and in short, Drake has put Toronto on the map in a way like no other. 

So what else does El-Khatib work on when he isn’t managing and securing multi-million dollar deals and partnerships? Well, he works on music too. In December 2019, El-Khatib put out a 50-minute mixtape called EL-KUUMBA TAPE VOL 1 which featured Drake on the track “War.” The tape also included features with Lil Uzi Vert, Roddy Rich, and more.

At the moment it’s still unclear what Drake and El-Khatib have up their sleeve for the remainder of 2021. The artist released the Scary Hours 2 EP this past March which featured collaborations from Rick Ross and Lil Baby and has been teasing his new album Certified Lover Boy for close to a year. These two move in silence, so the release will likely be a surprise. In the meantime, we will all be waiting. 

Everything To Know About Lebron’s Agent Rich Paul

What Is Drake’s Net Worth?

What Is Joe Rogan’s Net Worth?

site categories

Drake’s ‘it’s all a blur’ tour prompts a bittersweet inquiry.

Is The Boy closing in on the light at the end of his tunnel vision?

By Armon Sadler

Armon Sadler

Hip-Hop Reporter

• Share this article on Facebook
• Share this article on Twitter
• Share this article on Flipboard
• Share this article on Pinit
• + additional share options added
• Print this article
• Share this article on Print

A live Drake show will always be enjoyable. Because of how much good music he has delivered throughout his career, fans walk away pleased that they can enjoy their favorite songs in an arena full of people who know every single lyric. And his usual emphasis on performing new music only elevates the experience.

Big Sean Clears The Air, Doechii Excels, A$AP Rocky Acts Swiftly, And Other Hip-Hop Releases

For It’s All A Blur, he not only ends with “Legend,” the opener from his 2015 mixtape If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late , but also opens with “Look What You’ve Done,” the passionate ode to important people in his life from his 2011 album Take Care . At the Philadelphia stop on Monday (July 31), he ended the show with 2017 deep cut “Teenage Fever,” and revealed he would change his closing song moving forward throughout the tour. Presumably, these will come from early records in his catalog. This is all more telling than people may realize. 

Obviously, there is nothing wrong with performing classics. People want to hear older tracks like “Say Something,” “ Headlines ,” “ Marvin’s Room ,” and “Know Yourself.” He also performed multiple hits he’s racked up since his last tour, like “ Laugh Now Cry Later ” and “Way 2 Sexy.” Still— 30 out of his 43-song setlist were tracks from before 2020, which isn’t his usual M.O. 

His appearance at Dreamville Fest in April was in front of a larger crowd, but the setlist was almost identical to the one he did at The Apollo. What fans may not have realized on those two January nights and that slightly warmer April evening, was that he was foreshadowing what could come to fruition after this tour.

Drake hinted at wanting to retire at 35 years old on the Views track “Weston Road Flows” in 2016, but later confirmed on Rap Radar that it was more of a fun bar than an actual intention. He spoke about how much he loves making music and living the rapper lifestyle. He shared a similar sentiment during an August 2022 interview with Nicki Minaj on Queen Radio . Yet, just six months later during a conversation with Lil Yachty , he said, “I feel like I’m kind of introducing the concept in my mind of a graceful exit.”

It is important to note that, in that February conversation with Yachty, he did say that he wasn’t ready to retire at that moment. He still has an interest in making interesting projects. However, his tune did change in just six months—after his successful November 2022 collaboration album with 21 Savage , Her Loss and polarizing dance-inspired album Honestly, Nevermind . Drake hadn’t released music at such a consistent rate since his 2015-2018 barrage of If You’re Reading This , What A Time To Be Alive , Views , More Life , and Scorpion . 

The Degrassi actor’s 2020 to 2023 output made many feel like he wasn’t slowing down anytime soon, but a deeper dive evokes the opposite feeling. While many naysayers may credit that to him “not having it” anymore or recognizing the game has passed him by, there was a sense of fulfillment that came with the words he said on stage at MSG. 

He spent a portion of the show discussing being appreciative and grateful. He acknowledged the things people go through with their families, employers, finances, and aspects of their lives that they want to change before encouraging fans to greet one another and express love. “That’s the way we stay alive,” he said. “We can’t be cool and tough all the time. A thousand things can take you off this Earth, don’t let it be hate.” While this speech was salient, in hindsight, it feels like he was talking to himself. 

Drake’s life appears luxurious, from the mansion to the plane to the expensive trips. However, working at the rate he has, it would be impossible to not be tired. There are also the challenges fans are aware of, and the things he keeps private. That moment at MSG now feels like he was looking in a mirror. 

After bookending the speech with “God’s Plan” and “Child’s Play,” photos of Drake’s five-year-old son Adonis appeared on the titantrons during “ Wait For U .” While fatherhood appears awesome now, fans can’t ignore how we learned about his son: via a beef with Pusha T in 2018 where his family and friends got caught in the crossfire. Even one of the most braggadocious, impenetrable rappers in history has weak spots, and those became apparent in the heat of that feud. Drake has understandably been a target for a lot of his career, given his stature. He has played the villain, reverted to the nice guy, and now toes the line between both roles. That in itself sounds exhausting.

Drake brought out his mother on stage ?? pic.twitter.com/ZijYq5NfDD — Pop Hive (@thepophive) July 27, 2023

It’s also worth exploring another difference on the It’s All A Blur Tour: no surprise appearances by artists to perform during Drake’s sets. J. Cole joined him during the Montreal leg of the tour, but only because 21 Savage is not allowed to cross the border. Lil Yachty opened the MSG shows in the place of Skillibeng . Meek Mill walked out with him, much like several other rappers and celebrities have on this tour. However, Meek did not actually hit the stage. This tour has been all about Drake and his journey, which adds to the “final chapters” feeling.

While he ended the MSG show announcing that For All The Dogs will be “coming soon,” something in the air made the entire spectacle feel like this journey he and his fans have been on will be ending soon. Given his work ethic and how easily he can make a record that people enjoy, it is undeniable that he can continue on for any period of time. Still, there is something about the depth of his musings and the nostalgia-leaning setlist that makes it feel like people should prepare for their beloved Drake to take on a reduced schedule. That’s if he’ll even be an active presence in Hip-Hop at all after this album.

On “Fireworks,” the opener to his 2010 debut album Thank Me Later , Drake rapped: “My dreams are who I’m racing with/ But you can see I’m pacing it so that I’m always chasing it.” The It’s All A Blur tour feels like an acknowledgment that he is closer than ever to his finish line, and he is fully okay with it. The dream was realized—arguably, years ago. Now, he can gracefully exit and ride into the sunset on his own terms. 

Get weekly rundowns straight to your inbox

Vibe is a part of Penske Media Corporation. © 2024 Vibe Media, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

optional screen reader

News expand news menu.

• Movies & TV
• Entertainment

Music Expand music menu

• Music Premieres

Features Expand features menu

• Digital Covers

Lifestyle Expand lifestyle menu

Find anything you save across the site in your account

Drake Announces 2023 North American Tour With 21 Savage

Drake has announced a 2023 North American tour with 21 Savage . The It’s All a Blur Tour will kick off in June and take him through to September. The pre-sale begins Wednesday (March 15) at 12 p.m. local time via Cash App . There’s an announcement video on Instagram .

On Thursday, March 16, Drake announced additional dates in Houston, Dallas, Miami, Detroit, Montreal, Brooklyn, New York, Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, Inglewood, San Francisco, Seattle, Vancouver, and Las Vegas. Find the full itinerary below.

While he has held one-off performances in the past few years—like his shows at Harlem’s Apollo Theater or his October World Weekend —the It’s All a Blur Tour is Drake’s first since 2019 , before the onset of the pandemic . He is also set to co-headline the 2023 edition of Dreamville Festival alongside J. Cole.

Last year Drake released both Honestly, Nevermind and Her Loss , his collaborative LP with 21 Savage. He dropped Certified Lover Boy in 2021.

All products featured on Pitchfork are independently selected by our editors. However, when you buy something through our retail links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

06-16 New Orleans, LA - Smoothie King Center 06-19 Nashville, TN - Bridgestone Arena 06-21 Houston, TX - Toyota Center 06-22 Houston, TX - Toyota Center 06-24 Dallas, TX - American Airlines Center 06-25 Dallas, TX - American Airlines Center 06-28 Miami, FL - Miami-Dade Arena 06-29 Miami, FL - Miami-Dade Arena 07-01 Atlanta, GA - State Farm Arena 07-02 Atlanta, GA - State Farm Arena 07-05 Chicago, IL - United Center 07-06 Chicago, IL - United Center 07-08 Detroit, MI - Little Caesars Arena 07-09 Detroit, MI - Little Caesars Arena 07-11 Boston, MA - TD Garden 07-12 Boston, MA - TD Garden 07-14 Montreal, Quebec - Bell Centre 07-15 Montreal, Quebec - Bell Centre 07-17 Brooklyn, NY - Barclays Center 07-18 Brooklyn, NY - Barclays Center 07-20 Brooklyn, NY - Barclays Center 07-23 New York, NY - Madison Square Garden 07-25 New York, NY - Madison Square Garden 07-26 New York, NY - Madison Square Garden 07-28 Washington, D.C. - Capital One Arena 07-29 Washington, D.C. - Capital One Arena 07-31 Philadelphia, PA - Wells Fargo Center 08-01 Philadelphia, PA - Wells Fargo Center 08-12 Inglewood, CA - Kia Forum 08-13 Inglewood, CA - Kia Forum 08-15 Inglewood, CA - Kia Forum 08-18 San Francisco, CA - Chase Center 08-19 San Francisco, CA - Chase Center 08-21 Los Angeles, CA - Crypto.com Arena 08-22 Los Angeles, CA - Crypto.com Arena 08-25 Seattle, WA - Climate Pledge Arena 08-26 Seattle, WA - Climate Pledge Arena 08-28 Vancouver, British Columbia - Rogers Arena 08-29 Vancouver, British Columbia - Rogers Arena 09-01 Las Vegas, NV - T-Mobile Arena 09-02 Las Vegas, NV - T-Mobile Arena 09-05 Glendale, AZ - Desert Diamond Arena

By signing up you agree to our User Agreement (including the class action waiver and arbitration provisions ), our Privacy Policy & Cookie Statement and to receive marketing and account-related emails from Pitchfork. You can unsubscribe at any time. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

• Movie Directors
• Digital Influencers
• Music Agents
• Talent Agents
• Sports Agents
• Music Managers
• Talent Managers
• Edit Your Profile
• Account Info
• Submit Info Request

Drake contact info

Drake agent.

Beverly Hills, CA United States

Los Angeles, CA United States

Drake Manager

Toronto, ON Canada

Drake Publicist

Santa Monica, CA United States

New York, NY United States

About Drake

Born as Aubrey Drake Graham, (on October 24, 1986), to Jewish parents, in Toronto, Ontario, Drake is a Canadian rapper, song writer, producer and actor.

Thank Me Later , Drake’s debut studio album, released in 2010 and sold more than 447,000 copies in the United States and 31,000 copies in Canada. By August 2015, that number stood at 1,800,000 copies sold in the United States alone. The album was also certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America. Drake went on receive several nominations for this album, including nominations for a Grammy Award for Best Rap Album.

Thank Me Later was followed up by the 2011 album Take Care and the 2013 album Nothing Was The Same . Take Care would also go on to give Drake his first Grammy award for the Best Rap Album.

Drake’s 2016 album, Views, featured the smash hit track “Hotline Bling”, which won Best Rap Song and Best Rap/Sung Performance at the 2017 Grammy Awards. By January 2017, Views had grossed sales of over 1.6 million copies and has been certified Quadruple Platinum by the RIAA.  

  Drake also co-owns a Canada based record label called OVO Sound, which has singers such as Drake himself, Majid Jordan and PARTYNEXTDOOR , amongst others.

How to book Drake?

Who do i contact for media inquiries, who is on drake management team, what is drake's booking price, other celebrities, brandon nembhard contact information, sticky m.a. contact information, oblé reed contact information, dillom contact information, nsqk contact information, k.o contact information, toss contact information.

NASAAN Contact Information

Kevin Costner Contact Information

Keanu Reeves Contact Information

Jason Momoa Contact Information

Adele Contact Information

Hugh Jackman Contact Information

Travis Scott Contact Information

Johnny Depp Contact Information

Tyla Contact Information

We promote concerts on a monthly basis, and use Bookingagentinfo.com to have quick access to the booking agents for different artists. Bookingagentinfo.com has saved us time and money. — Martin Tinnell, Las Vegas Concert Promoter

I signed up for Booking Agent Info because I was having a hard time finding management and publicist info for artists that I wanted to interview for the publication that I write for. At first I was really skeptical about things, I didn't know if the site was trustworthy. But I'm really glad I signed up! Rather than taking the time to dig through the internet, I can just go to Booking Agent Info and its all there for me. The site is very straightforward and any information I need is easy to search for. — Chelsea Smith, Music Editor, SWGRUS

With Bookingagentinfo.com I have been able to reach the managers of various celebrities and influencers that I wasn't able to reach before for product endorsements and placements. It has also saved me time by providing me with the right person to talk to. — Shane Fairbrother, CEO, Medtainer

I've been able to get in contact with representation for celebrities and am finding it much easier to get interviews for our podcast thanks to Booking Agent Info. — Matthew Ardill, Comedy Album Book Club Podcast

This website uses cookies to improve service and provide tailored ads. By using this site, you agree to this use. See our Privacy Policy . Accept

• Canada Edition
• Fader Radio

A guide to the members of Drake’s OVO crew

Some people you know, and probably some you don’t..

Noah "40" Shebib

When Drake breaks from Nothing Was the Same ’s long-winded intro to declare "40 is on Martin Scorsese,” he's referring of course to Noah Shebib, the small, bald and bearded guy, always in the studio or hiding behind his laptop, who has been Drake's primary producer, engineer and other-half since his career began. Shebib is as instrumental to Drake's sound as Drake — by his own calculation, he's had a part in "100 percent" of the music Drake's put out: "Everything goes through my hands," he told FADER in 2011 . As if that weren't work enough, he also takes it upon himself to “to protect Drake from his niceness." He and Drake have more than music in common: 40 was also a child actor, making appearances in Wind at My Back , Goosebumps and The Virgin Suicides .

40 was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2005. In Pusha-T's diss. "The Story of Adidon," he rapped, "OVO 40, hunched over like he 80— tick, tick, tick/ How much time he got? That man is sick, sick, sick." 40 responded on Twitter with a link to information about World MS Day .

Oliver El-Khatib

El-Khatib is a sometimes long-haired Lebanese-Scandinavian guy who seems to hang back in the shadows when Drake and crew are out and about. As Drake's creative director and brand manger, he's charged with making sure all things Drake stay Drake-y. Back in 2008, he shared favorite menswear on the OVO blog, before he was officially tasked with OVO's clothing line, which has given us this $900, duck-down stuffed and silk-lined Canada Goose jacket and the embroidered OVO owl sweatshirt that Rihanna keeps in her suitcase, according to "5AM in Toronto." Oliver's name was dropped on Drake's "Stay Scheming" verse, and he earned a production credit for "The Resistance" off Thank Me Later . Drake calls him the "ear of all ears," and credits Oliver with identifying The Weeknd's "it" factor. “The joy of my life is making music with those two guys,” he told The FADER of Drake and 40 in 2015. “I don’t physically play an instrument or produce records. The charm of what I bring to the table is that sometimes it’s just ideas.” It's his taste that largely makes up the program for OVO Sound Radio and drives the creative direction behind the OVO clothing line.

Dennis Graham

The OG with a signature mustache and suit, Graham is a constant presence by Drake's side and in his Instagram pictures. The Memphis native reignited his own musical career in 2016 with his single "Kinda Crazy" and promised a forthcoming album. Here's what Graham told The FADER in 2016 about the lessons Drake has learned from him: "I think he learned how to be humble, down to earth, to be real, or 100%. To just stay focused and do his music. To not let all the hype and the media get to him or to make him react to some of the stupidity of what goes on in the music business."

On "Know Yourself," Drake shouted out the Scarborough native: "I might declare it a holiday as soon as Baka get back on the road." The reason Baka wasn't out on the road is because he was charged with six human trafficking offenses in 2014. "According to police, a 22-year-old woman was forced into prostitution after being threatened," a news report from the time of his arrest reads . "She was then forced to give the man the money she made." He was released from prison in 2015 and signed with Drake's OVO Sound label in 2017. He's released three singles.

Mellany Sanchez

Formerly the creative director for Kith, Mellany Sanchez joined the OVO squad in August 2017, after Oliver noticed her knack for aesthetics on Instagram . She serves as Drake's image director and helped curate the wardrobe and album cover that went into Scorpion .

The star of Drake's "HYFR" video, OB O'Brien also raps and produces; he's listed as a co-producer on "Energy" from If You're Reading This It's Too Late .Toronto producer Boi-1da says Drake, OB and Ryan are "straight comedy" when they get together, and we would believe it: he's the life of the party at Drake's music video bar mitzvah, and the guy cracking all the jokes in the "Started From The Bottom" video.

It seems that Niko's primary Drake duty to be a good friend. Niko recommended a good barber to Drake when he was still just Jimmy on Degrassi . and the two have been BFFs ever since. In his lengthy Thank Me Later thank you's, Drake calls Niko his "closest confidant." He continued, "our friendship is what keeps me alive and focused, I always thought I was an only child buy my mother lied!! Haaa." Aww. And when he's not with Drake? He's the father to a very cute daughter and apparently a decent fly fisherman.

Chubbs is Drake's muscle. As he put it to Complex in 2011 : "Everybody wants to poke and jab at Drake because they don't feel like he will throw back. But nobody around here is going to let something happen to him at any time, especially me. I'm not ever going to let nothing happen to him. If it's going to happen it's going to happen to me first." Maybe that's why he's the only OVO member to stay by Drake's side during the Miami Vice style shoot-out at the end of the “Hold On We're Going Home” video. He's also Drake's regular basketball buddy.

Odell Beckham Jr.

OBJ came into the fold after house sitting Drake's Calabasas mansion in 2016 . "To see his whole story and then to finally be able to meet him, a guy like that whose mindset is very similar to mine," OBJ said of meeting the rapepr. "Like I said, he wants to be the greatest. He wants to put out the best song every single time. I understand where he’s at." Drake visited him in the hospital after his injury last year to offer words of encouragement .

Ryan Silverstein

Ryan “The Cute One” Silverstien is not just OVO family, but literal family. He's Drake's cousin, the son of Hal (not Steve, the uncle who let Drake borrow the keys to his Lexus). Sometime's he's tasked with calling in the room service orders, but most often it seems like his job is to just look good next to Drake, on nights out or in the "HYFR" and "5AM in Toronto" videos. When he's not busy with Drake, he spends a lot of time (and even more hashtags) repping for Topszn, a "regime" of dubious purpose that he runs with his partner in crime, OB.

🦉Gelo was Drake's favorite waiter at Sotto Sotto and is now his business partner at his restaurant Pick 6ix. 🦉 Theo Skudra is the photographer who makes @champagnepapi pop. 🦉 According to “Miss Me,” CJ, Drake's road manager, keeps the credit cards and lots of ones organized. 🦉 Hush has got the gun. 🦉Boi-1da produced “Best I Ever Had,” Drake's first big hit, and has been a regular on Drake's production roster since. 🦉 Mike Zombie has been a regular on Drake's production team. 🦉 Majid Jordan and PARTYNEXTDOOR were the first artists signed to OVO Sound. 🦉 Roy Wood$ signed to OVO in 2015. 🦉Future The Prince has been Drake's official DJ from the jump. 🦉OVO trainer Jonny Roxx helped Drake literally get his weight up. 🦉 Habibiz , Drake's hookah man.

Recommended

The case for Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us” as 2024’s Song of the Summer

What does Vybz Kartel’s release mean for the future of dancehall?

Charli XCX and Lorde don’t have to be besties

• Skip to content
• Accessibility
• Buy Tickets

DRAKE ANNOUNCES 2023 IT’S ALL A BLUR TOUR WITH 21 SAVAGE

Today, four time Grammy-award winning and multi-platinum selling artist Drake announced his long awaited return to the stage with the 2023 ‘It’s All A Blur’ Tour presented by Cash App, Visa and Sprite. Produced by Live Nation, Drake and 21 Savage will be going on a 29-date arena run with stops including Chicago, Boston, New York, Miami, Los Angeles, and more with a stop in Washington, D.C. at Capital One Arena on Friday, July 28, 2023.

‘It’s All A Blur’ marks Drake’s return to touring since headlining Aubrey & the Three Migos Tour in 2018. The title, a celebration of the last decade,  sums up Drake’s sentiment of the unprecedented run as he gets ready to hit the road. In the last five years, Drake has released four albums, including his most recent studio album Her Loss in collaboration with 21 Savage, which reached number one on the Billboard’s 200 chart and had all 16 songs debuted on Billboard’s Hot 100 list.

TICKETS:   Tickets will be available starting with Cash App Card and Sprite presales (details below) beginning Wednesday, March 15. Additional presales will run throughout the week ahead of the general onsale beginning Friday, March 17 starting at 12pm local time on drakerelated.com . Onsale start times vary by market, check your local listings for more information.

CASH APP CARD PRESALE: For all US shows, the first tickets to the ‘It’s All A Blur’ Tour will be available for Cash App Card customers via an exclusive ticket presale presented by Cash App and Visa.

• Beginning Wednesday, March 15 starting at 12pm local time through Thursday, March 16 at 10pm local time, Cash App Card holders can unlock the earliest access to ‘It’s All A Blur’ tickets by using the first 9 digits of their Cash App Card to access the presale and then completing the purchase using their Cash App Card.
• Presale start times vary by market, check your local listings at drakerelated.com for more information. For more information on the Cash App Card presale, please visit cash.app/drake-presale .

SPRITE PRESALE: Sprite is the official beverage sponsor for the ‘It’s All A Blur Tour,’ his first in North America since 2018. This marks a natural progression of their partnership since Sprite executed his first worldwide brand deal in 2010. Fans can look for updates on Sprite.com and sign up for Sprite emails to gain access to Drake’s presale experience.

• The Sprite presale will take place on Thursday, March 16 starting at 12pm local time until 10pm local time. Presale start times vary by market, check your local listings at drakerelated.com for more information.

DRAKE: ‘IT’S ALL A BLUR’ 2023 TOUR DATES:

Fri Jun 16 – New Orleans, LA – Smoothie King Center

Mon Jun 19 – Nashville, TN – Bridgestone Arena

Wed Jun 21 – Houston, TX – Toyota Center

Sat Jun 24 – Dallas, TX – American Airlines Center

Wed Jun 28 – Miami, FL – Miami-Dade Arena

Sat Jul 01 – Atlanta, GA – State Farm Arena

Sun Jul 02 – Atlanta, GA – State Farm Arena

Wed Jul 05 – Chicago, IL – United Center

Thu Jul 06 – Chicago, IL – United Center

Sat Jul 08 – Detroit, MI – Little Caesars Arena

Tue Jul 11 – Boston, MA – TD Garden

Wed Jul 12 – Boston, MA – TD Garden

Fri Jul 14 – Montreal, QC – Bell Centre

Mon Jul 17 – Brooklyn, NY – Barclays Center

Tue Jul 18 – Brooklyn, NY – Barclays Center

Tue Jul 25 – New York, NY – Madison Square Garden

Wed Jul 26 – New York, NY – Madison Square Garden

Fri Jul 28 – Washington, DC – Capital One Arena

Mon Jul 31 – Philadelphia, PA – Wells Fargo Center

Sat Aug 12 – Inglewood, CA – Kia Forum

Sun Aug 13 – Inglewood, CA – Kia Forum

Fri Aug 18 – San Francisco, CA – Chase Center

Mon Aug 21 – Los Angeles, CA – Crypto.com Arena

Tue Aug 22 – Los Angeles, CA – Crypto.com Arena

Fri Aug 25 – Seattle, WA – Climate Pledge Arena

Mon Aug 28 – Vancouver, BC – Rogers Arena

Fri Sep 01 – Las Vegas, NV – T-Mobile Arena

Tue Sep 05 – Glendale, AZ – Desert Diamond Arena

*Additional shows including Toronto to be announced at a later date.

ABOUT DRAKE:

Drake is one of the most successful hip hop artists in the world. The Canadian rapper first gained serious attention in 2009 when he debuted his EP So Far Gone , named the hottest mixtape of the year by MTV. Fast forward to 2018, Drake dropped the platinum double LP, Scorpion which included a staggering 25 tracks. Succeeding the album’s release, Drake hit the road headlining Aubrey & the Three Migos Tour across the US with surprise guests, Meek Mill, French Montana, Travis Scott and many others. While taking a break from touring in the last five years Drake has developed some of his best work. Topping the U.S. charts in August of 2019, Drake released Care Package, his first compilation album that consists of songs from 2010 to 2016 that weren’t initially available for commercial streaming. In September of 2021, Drake released his most highly anticipated album yet. Certified Lover Boy became his sixth studio album and broke Apple Music’s one-day streaming record in under 12 hours. Leading into Summer of 2022, Drake surprised fans with his seventh studio album, Honestly Nevermind which includes a notable feature from 21 Savage. Most recently in November of 2022 Drake and 21 Savage came out with a collaborative studio album titled Her Loss . The album reached number one on the Billboard’s 200 chart and all 16 songs debuted on Billboard’s Hot 100 list.

Follow Drake:

Website  |  Facebook  |  Twitter  |  Instagram  |  YouTube

ABOUT 21 SAVAGE

Grammy Award Winning multi platinum artist 21 Savage, one of the most sought after rappers of this generation, landed his 2nd #1 album in 2020 with the release of Savage Mode 2, the follow up to 2016’s platinum certified record Savage Mode. His 2019 album  i am > i was, which received platinum certification and was nominated for Best Album of the Year in 2020, earned him a Grammy for Best Rap Song for “A Lot.” In 2022 the collaborative album with Drake, Her Loss also went on to debut on Billboard 200 Album Charts at No.1 making this his 3rd album to top the charts. Through his award winning foundation Leading by Example founded in 2018, Savage provides financial literacy education to underserved youth nationwide providing thousands of scholarships, access to bank accounts and job placement for teens and students alike. In December 2022 the state of Georgia recognized December 21st as 21 Savage Day in recognition of his extraordinary philanthropic efforts.

Follow 21 Savage:

About Cash App

Cash App is the money app. It's the easy way to spend, send, store, and invest money. Sending and receiving money is free and fast, and most payments can be deposited directly to a bank account in just a few seconds. With Cash App, customers can also invest in their favorite companies with as little as $1, buy and sell Bitcoin instantly, get a paycheck deposited right to the app, create a unique $cashtag to share with anyone to get paid fast, and use the Cash App Card to spend the money everywhere Visa Debit is accepted. Cash App Card is issued by Sutton Bank. Download Cash App for free at cash.app/download

The Cash App Card is free to order when you download Cash App via cash.app/download . Everyone under 18 will need a parent or guardian to sponsor their account. Cash App Card holders will receive their digital card number instantly and can use it to spend money everywhere Visa Debit is accepted . It’s recommended to add enough cash to your Cash App account to cover the cost of your ticket purchase prior to the start of the presale. For help adding cash or linking a bank account to your Cash App account, please read here .  

About Visa Visa (NYSE: V) is a world leader in digital payments, facilitating transactions between consumers, merchants, financial institutions and government entities across more than 200 countries and territories. Our mission is to connect the world through the most innovative, convenient, reliable and secure payments network, enabling individuals, businesses and economies to thrive. We believe that economies that include everyone everywhere, uplift everyone everywhere and see access as foundational to the future of money movement. Learn more at Visa.com .

About The Coca-Cola Company

The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE: KO) is a total beverage company with products sold in more than 200 countries and territories. Our company’s purpose is to refresh the world and make a difference. We sell multiple billion-dollar brands across several beverage categories worldwide. Our portfolio of sparkling soft drink brands includes Coca-Cola, Sprite and Fanta. Our hydration, sports, coffee and tea brands include Dasani, smartwater, vitaminwater, Topo Chico, BODYARMOR, Powerade, Costa, Georgia, Gold Peak and Ayataka. Our nutrition, juice, dairy and plant-based beverage brands include Minute Maid, Simply, innocent, Del Valle, fairlife and AdeS. We’re constantly transforming our portfolio, from reducing sugar in our drinks to bringing innovative new products to market. We seek to positively impact people’s lives, communities and the planet through water replenishment, packaging recycling, sustainable sourcing practices and carbon emissions reductions across our value chain. Together with our bottling partners, we employ more than 700,000 people, helping bring economic opportunity to local communities worldwide. Learn more at www.coca-colacompany.com and follow us on Twitter , Instagram , Facebook and LinkedIn .

About Live Nation Entertainment

Live Nation Entertainment (NYSE: LYV) is the world’s leading live entertainment company comprised of global market leaders: Ticketmaster, Live Nation Concerts, and Live Nation Sponsorship. For additional information, visit www.livenationentertainment.com .

It's All A Blur Tour

Drake Announces ‘It’s All a Blur’ 2023 Tour Dates

By Jem Aswad

Executive Editor, Music

• Stevie Wonder Drops New Anthem for Unity, ‘Can We Fix Our Nation’s Broken Heart?’ 15 hours ago
• How Nick Cave Weathered Unimaginable Tragedy and Fell in Love With the World, Returning With a ‘Joyful’ Album, ‘Wild God’ 17 hours ago
• U.S. Recorded Music Hit Record $8.7 Billion in Mid-Year Revenue, But Growth Is Just 4%: RIAA Report 2 days ago

Drake  has announced dates for his 2023 “It’s All a Blur” tour presented by Cash App, Visa and Sprite. Produced by Live Nation, Drake and 21 Savage will be going on a 29-date arena run with stops including Chicago, Boston, New York, Miami, Los Angeles, and more before wrapping up in Glendale, AZ at Desert Diamond Arena on Tuesday, September 5.

Related Stories

High-Resolution 8K Has Its Places, but TV Might Not Be One of Them

French Directors Ludovic and Zoran Boukherma on Exploring Teenage Angst With Pop Power in Venice Competition Film 'And Their Children After Them'

Popular on variety.

CASH APP CARD PRESALE : For all US shows, the first tickets to the ‘It’s All A Blur’ Tour will be available for Cash App Card customers via an exclusive ticket presale presented by Cash App and Visa.

      •    Beginning Wednesday, March 15 starting at 12pm local time through Thursday, March 16 at 10pm local time, Cash App Card holders can unlock the earliest access to ‘It’s All A Blur’ tickets by using the first 9 digits of their Cash App Card to access the presale and then completing the purchase using their Cash App Card.

      •    Presale start times vary by market, check your local listings at drakerelated.com for more information. For more information on the Cash App Card presale, please visit  cash.app/drake-presale.

SPRITE PRESALE: Sprite is the official beverage sponsor for the ‘It’s All A Blur Tour,’ his first in North America since 2018. This marks a natural progression of their partnership since Sprite executed his first worldwide brand deal in 2010. Fans can look for updates on Sprite.com and sign up for Sprite emails to gain access to Drake’s presale experience.

DRAKE: ‘IT’S ALL A BLUR’ 2023 TOUR DATES:

Fri Jun 16 – New Orleans, LA – Smoothie King Center

Mon Jun 19 – Nashville, TN – Bridgestone Arena

Wed Jun 21 – Houston, TX – Toyota Center

Sat Jun 24 – Dallas, TX – American Airlines Center

Wed Jun 28 – Miami, FL – Miami-Dade Arena

Sat Jul 01 – Atlanta, GA – State Farm Arena

Sun Jul 02 – Atlanta, GA – State Farm Arena

Wed Jul 05 – Chicago, IL – United Center

Thu Jul 06 – Chicago, IL – United Center

Sat Jul 08 – Detroit, MI – Little Caesars Arena

Tue Jul 11 – Boston, MA – TD Garden

Wed Jul 12 – Boston, MA – TD Garden

Fri Jul 14 – Montreal, QC – Bell Centre

Mon Jul 17 – Brooklyn, NY – Barclays Center

Tue Jul 18 – Brooklyn, NY – Barclays Center

Tue Jul 25 – New York, NY – Madison Square Garden

Wed Jul 26 – New York, NY – Madison Square Garden

Fri Jul 28 – Washington, DC – Capital One Arena

Mon Jul 31 – Philadelphia, PA – Wells Fargo Center

Sat Aug 12 – Inglewood, CA – Kia Forum

Sun Aug 13 – Inglewood, CA – Kia Forum

Fri Aug 18 – San Francisco, CA – Chase Center

Mon Aug 21 – Los Angeles, CA – Crypto.com Arena

Tue Aug 22 – Los Angeles, CA – Crypto.com Arena

Fri Aug 25 – Seattle, WA – Climate Pledge Arena

Mon Aug 28 – Vancouver, BC – Rogers Arena

Fri Sep 01 – Las Vegas, NV – T-Mobile Arena

Tue Sep 05 – Glendale, AZ – Desert Diamond Arena

*Additional shows including Toronto to be announced at a later date.

More from Variety

Sabrina Carpenter Teases and Torments on the Masterful — and Devilishly NSFW — ‘Short n’ Sweet’: Album Review

‘Star Wars Outlaws’: Disney Tests Gamers’ Appetite for Hollywood IP

‘The Crow’ Review: Bill Skarsgard Dons the Mascara in a Slow but Stylish Re-Imagining

‘Three Friends’ Review: A Loosely Knotted French Braid of Not-So-Illicit Affairs

Dissatisfied With Its Rate of Erosion, DVD Biz Fast-Forwards 2024 Decline

‘Vulcanizadora’ Review: A Bleak DIY Buddy Comedy About a Morbid Pact

More from our brands, trump eats words, says he’ll vote to preserve florida’s six-week abortion ban.

Rolls-Royce Debuted the New Phantom Scintilla at Monterey Car Week. Here’s Everything We Know.

Disney, DirecTV NFL Fight Faces Sunday Deadline

The Best Loofahs and Body Scrubbers, According to Dermatologists

One Tree Hill: Sophia Bush and Hilarie Burton Celebrate Netflix Sequel News as a Chance to ‘Reclaim Our Turf’

Drake’s Toronto

• From the Bottom Top

An interactive guide to the mogul’s hometown

No musicians tell the stories of their cities quite like rappers do. The way Jay-Z navigates the streets of Brooklyn, how Nas gives us a view from his window out onto the New York City neighbourhood of Queensbridge, how you feel like you’re in the passenger seat driving around Long Beach, Calif., with Snoop Dogg, or how Outkast takes us directly to East Point in Atlanta — the music of these artists transplants the listener to another time and place.

This is what Drake does for Toronto — whether he’s running through the 6ix with his woes, driving on the 401 and taking the Markham Road exit to Scarborough, or reminiscing about his time growing up on Weston Road. Through his music, Drake helped put Toronto on the map, so it seemed appropriate to map out Drake’s Toronto.

Illustration: Line Art Ben Shannon / Montage  Andrew McManus

Early Years

Before Drake was a world-dominating music star, he was a young kid making his way through creative circles in Toronto, acting on Degrassi and releasing buzzy mixtapes such as Room for Improvement , on which he confidently claimed: “City is mine.” Little did everyone know how right he was.

Young People’s Theatre

165 Front St. E.

Drake’s mom, Sandi Graham, enrolled him in Young People’s Theatre as a kid. He was involved in a production of Les Miserables , which arguably sparked his love of acting.

Epitome Pictures (now closed)

220 Bartley Dr.

At the age of 14, Drake was hired to play Jimmy Brooks in the original cast of Degrassi: The Next Generation . The majority of the show was shot at Epitome Pictures, but some of it was also shot on location on De Grassi Street in the city’s east end. Drake went on to appear in 145 episodes of the series. In 2007, in an episode titled “It’s Tricky,” Drake raps for the first time on the show, performing a song called   “ Tell Me Lies.” In 2009, Drake left Degrassi , claiming in a 2015 W Magazine interview that he was “kicked off the show” due to his burgeoning music career, which took up more and more of his time.

EARLY 2000s

Forest hill collegiate institute.

730 Eglinton Ave. W.

Drake attended Forest Hill Collegiate before he transferred to Vaughan Road Academy. He later dropped out of school to continue acting on Degrassi . “I never really got, like, a great school experience,” he said in a 2012 interview with Kentucky Sports Television . 

The Avocado Supper Club (now closed)

257 Adelaide St. W.

Drake would perform here as part of a cover group called the Renaissance, which also featured Melanie Fiona and Voyce, a.k.a. Aion Clarke. As recounted in the book Far from Over by Dalton Higgins, Drake was eventually fired from the group and told by the manager, “I don’t think music is your calling.” The group permanently broke up shortly after that. Fiona went on to win a Grammy and Clarke has written songs for Drake, Rihanna, Diddy, Monica, Stormzy, Ed Sheeran and more.

NOV. 14, 2007

Phoenix concert theatre.

410 Sherbourne St.

One of Drake’s first ever live performances was at the Phoenix Concert Theatre, where he opened for New York rapper Mos Def. Toronto artist Richie Sosa joined him onstage. According to the online blog HipHopCanada , the audience wasn’t very receptive to his set: “Faces stayed screwed.”

Noah (40) Shebib

Collaborator.

Producer and songwriter Noah Shebib, a.k.a. 40, is one of three primary directors of OVO — Drake's brand, which stands for October's Very Own — and Drake’s musical right-hand man. He is the sonic architect behind the downtempo, dark, cinematic sound that is the rapper’s musical trademark. As Drake’s recording and mixing engineer for the So Far Gone sessions, 40 saw how frustrated his friend was getting as Drake tried to find the right sound through other producers. He turned to their mutual love of ’90s R&B and produced what he thought Drake was looking for — and it worked. Since So Far Gone , 40 has produced tracks and served as executive producer on all of Drake’s albums, rarely producing for other artists. Even the songs 40 has produced for other artists — such as Jamie Foxx, Alicia Keys and Lil Wayne — have been co-written by or began as songs originally intended for Drake . He is also considered one of Drake’s closest friends.

Jane Street and Weston Road

And it's a trip, my city broke into sections/ up north I got me a couple of troubles, couple connections.

City is Mine / Room for Improvement

Photo: Robyn Beck / Getty Images

T-O-R-O-N-T-O

Yo, the city is mine (which one?) T-O-R-O-N-T-O

Entertainment District

I’m from the city where people be gettin’ lazy/ litterin’ in the streets/ and the club district is poppin' like literally every week.

Make Things Right / Room For Improvement

Exhibition place.

Instead of saving for marriage, she saving for Caribana.

Come Winter / Room for Improvement

Photo:  Robyn Beck / Getty Images

Future the Prince

Adel Nur, also known as Future the Prince, is one of the brains behind the business side of Drake’s OVO empire. “Future took the business and ran it for me,” Drake raps on   “ Nonstop.” Future began working with Drake as his tour DJ and has since become his manager, as well as one of the architects behind OVO Fest and the lead on Drake's partnerships with Apple, LeBron James' production company Uninterrupted and entertainment company A24. Nur is also co-executive producer on the HBO series Euphoria and the Netflix reboot of Top Boy . You can also often see him sitting courtside with Drake at the Raptors’ hometown games. 

So Far Gone

Through the release of the well-received mixtapes Room for Improvement (2006) and Comeback Season (2007), Drake managed to catch the attention of Houston’s Jas Prince, son of Rap-A-Lot mogul J Prince, who then put Lil Wayne onto the young Toronto rapper/singer. By the time his third mixtape, So Far Gone , was released, with its hit single “ Best I Ever Had ,” it was clear that Drake’s star was on the rise, with no sign of coming down soon.

JAN. 15, 2009

Scotiabank arena.

When Lil Wayne made a stop in Toronto for his I Am Music tour, he brought out Drake to perform verses on their collaborations “Mrs. Officer” and “Pop Bottles.” It was a defining moment for Drake, proving to the hometown crowd that he could go toe to toe with one of the top rappers in the game.

FEBRUARY 2009

2335 Yonge St.

Drake celebrated the release of his mixtape So Far Gone with a party in Toronto, attended by none other than NBA star LeBron James. “A decade ago, you came to my release party at 6 Degrees and made me the biggest artist in the city off your presence alone,” Drake wrote on Instagram in a post celebrating the mixtape’s 10-year anniversary. The party, and James’s appearance, showcased Drake’s ability to transcend Toronto fame, and marked a special moment in Drake’s rise to the top — not just as a rapper, but as a cultural figure. The two remain close friends.

College and Beatrice

College and beatrice streets.

With more fame comes more problems, even at an early stage. Outside of a restaurant in Toronto’s Little Italy neighbourhood, Drake was mugged at gunpoint. “I feel like in Toronto — from a rap standpoint, or even from being a young, black kid — I’m the only one to achieve this level of success,” Drake told Maclean’s magazine in 2010. “Those individuals who hate to see a person succeed, those are the individuals I fear, because in this city I would be their No. 1 target.” He also told GQ he thought the incident was a setup. The rapper lost around $4,000 and a new chain that Lil Wayne had given him. “I knew it was a setup, because I had on a sweater and a jacket. But when they banged on the car window with a gun and opened the door, the first thing he said was, ‘Yo, run that chain.’ They didn’t rob [my date], and her purse was sitting right there. So I was like, ‘OK, yup — you set the whole thing up.’”

MAY 13, 2009

The sound academy.

176 Cherry St.

Drake’s performance at the Sound Academy (now called Rebel) marked his first sold-out concert to a hometown crowd . It was just prior to Drake signing to Lil Wayne’s Young Money label, but the buzz was already very real, with the audience singing along and finishing the lyrics to his songs. At one point, he made a specific appeal to the women in the audience, saying, “I need a Toronto woman. I know how hard Toronto women work to look good and smell good and get their money. … I want you to come home to me [and] I want to have a meal ready for you, like some roasted chicken breast or some steak frites. Maybe like a glass of wine, like some pinot grigio or some moscato.”

OCT. 1, 2009

Successful video shoot.

Near the Rogers Centre

Drake teamed up with Trey Songz for the hit single “ Successful .” The music video for the song was shot in Toronto, with Drake performing on the balcony of a building with the lit-up outline of the Rogers Centre glowing just behind him. It was the first of many music videos to feature Toronto references. 

Matthew (Boi-1da) Samuels

The Jamaica-born, Toronto-raised Matthew Samuels, also known as Boi-1da, is a 14-time Grammy-nominated record producer. In 2019 alone, he was behind three of the five best rap song Grammy nominees, and was nominated for producer of the year. Boi-1da has been making beats since he was 15, and was introduced to Drake after winning the Battle of the Beat Makers contest three times. Boi-1da worked on three tracks for Drake’s first official mixtape, Room for Improvement , and went on to produce dozens of tracks for Drake, including his breakthrough hit “Best I Ever Had,” as well as “Headlines,” “Forever” and Rihanna’s “Work.” He’s also the executive producer for Drake's 2015 mixtape album If You're Reading This It's Too Late . 

Thank Me Later

Drake’s debut studio album,  Thank Me Later , was one of the most anticipated releases from a young artist in 2010. Featuring guest appearances from the likes of Lil Wayne, Jay-Z and Alicia Keys, plus production by some of the best in the game (including Kanye West, Timbaland, Swizz Beatz and No I.D.), the album also saw Drake solidifying his Toronto crew; the majority of the production was handled by longtime collaborators 40 and Boi-1da.

AUG. 1, 2010

909 Lake Shore Blvd. W.

Drake hosted the inaugural OVO Fest at the Budweiser Stage, formerly named the Molson Amphitheatre. The one-day event, which expanded to two days in subsequent years, was notable for featuring an impressive cast of surprise appearances by Jay-Z, Eminem, Rick Ross, Young Jeezy, Bun B, Fabolous, Mack Maine and Kardinal Offishall. Star-studded cameos went on to become a regular occurrence at every OVO Fest that followed, featuring performers like Diddy, Mase and Stevie Wonder, making it a must-see event every August long weekend. But as with many events that are in high-demand, OVO Fest ticket prices have skyrocketed each year due to resale and scalping inflations. In 2019, tickets were being sold for $2,500 . In an Instagram comment, Drake told a fan : “I can control a lot of things but I can't control resale prices shordeeee.”

Which made me question when I went missing/ and when I started treating my friends different/ maybe it was the fast-paced switch-up/ or the two guns in my face during the stick-up/ maybe 'cause a girl I thought I trusted/ was who set the whole shit up.

The Resistance / Thank Me Later

Photo:  Theo Wargo  / Getty Images

1 St. Thomas St.

These are my 1 St. Thomas flows.

9AM in Dallas / Thank Me Later

Oliver El-Khatib

If Future runs the business of OVO, then Oliver El-Khatib runs the brand. “I let Ollie take the owl, told him brand it for me,” Drake raps on “Nonstop.” El-Khatib is the person behind the October's Very Own moniker, named after the birthday month he shares with Drake. The two met when El-Khatib was managing the tastemaker clothing boutique Lounge. He’s also credited with bringing the Weeknd to Drake’s attention and signing PartyNextDoor to OVO Sound . El-Khatib also oversees the OVO clothing line, including partnerships with Roots and Canada Goose, and a Drake sneaker deal with the Jordan brand . Their relentless work ethic has fuelled Drake’s success as a musical artist and beyond: The OVO clothing line was estimated to top $50 million US in revenue in 2018 alone.

More than any other album, Take Care cemented Drake’s Toronto sound. Co-executive produced by 40, the album presents a moody blend of rap and R&B, subterranean minor keys and existential themes. It also marks the first major collaboration between Drake and the Weeknd, who co-wrote five of the 18 songs on the album. Take Care debuted at No. 1 and won for best rap album at the 2013 Grammys.

MARCH 27, 2011

After scoring two Juno Awards in 2010, Drake hosted the 2011 ceremony in Toronto. While he was widely praised for his hosting and was nominated for six awards for his breakout album, Thank Me Later , he went home empty-handed. That marked the first time in the Junos' 40-year history that a musician host didn’t win a single award. Drake won four Junos in subsequent years, but stopped submitting his music for consideration after 2016’s Views . In 2019, president and CEO of the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts, Allan Reid, told CBC : “It’s unfortunate he chose not to submit, and hopefully, he will come back.”

JULY 31, 2011

Ovo brand launch.

The OVO clothing label launched with an announcement on the OVO blog in summer 2011. Photos of limited edition merchandise, including a special tour jacket in collaboration with Roots, were made available with a note that it would all be for sale at the 2011 OVO Fest.

“I want people to be a part of our movement, I just want it to be right,” Drake told Complex in 2011 of the burgeoning clothing brand. “And everybody else wants me to make it with the cheaper fabric and put it in Macy’s and ‘Oh, don't worry, we will make $100 million in the first year.’ Naw, f--k you, because that's not what we are about.” The first official OVO store opened three years later. 

OCT. 21, 2011

Friends of guild park and gardens.

201 Guildwood Pkwy.

Drake released his music video for “Headlines” in 2011, the second single from his album Take Care . The video, which now has more than 200 million views, features a number of Toronto locations, including the CN Tower, the Rogers Centre and Friends of Guild Park and Gardens. “Headlines” peaked on the Billboard charts at No. 6.

AUGUST 2011

402 Shuter St.

At the 2010 Juno Awards, Drake was awarded the Allan Slaight Award, a $10,000 honorarium. In order to give back to the city, Drake donated the money to Dixon Hall, a charity that helps provide opportunities for people living in low-income neighbourhoods in Toronto.

NOV. 15, 2011

202 Davenport Rd.

Drake dropped his sophomore album, Take Care , on this day. The record, which received glowing reviews from Rolling Stone, Pitchfork, Spin and more, scored Drake his first Grammy Award for best rap album. The album’s famous cover featuring a solemn Drake sitting alone at a table, holding a chalice, was shot at Joso’s, a restaurant that he frequents. In 2013, Drake shouted out the restaurant in his song “5AM in Toronto.”

OVO Flagship Toronto

899 Dundas St. W.

After a few successful pop-ups, OVO opened up its first flagship clothing shop in Toronto’s Trinity Bellwoods neighbourhood. The store featured exclusive merch, some branded with Drake’s new name for the city: the 6ix.

Warner Music Canada

155 Gordon Baker Rd.

Drake, El-Khatib and 40 officially formed OVO Sound in 2012, a label that operates as a subsidiary of, and distributes records through, Warner Records. Upon OVO Sound’s launch, Drake and 40 signed Boi-1da, T-Minus and Mike Zombie as in-house producers. The first artist to sign to OVO Sound was Mississauga native PartyNextDoor.

OCT. 18, 2012

Vaughan road academy.

529 Vaughan Rd.

When Drake dropped out of Vaughan Road Academy to pursue acting on Degrassi: The Next Generation , he was one credit short from graduating. In 2012, he decided to finish school and earn his diploma. Thanks to a teacher named Kim Janzen , whom he shouted out on Twitter, Drake posted that he had scored 97 per cent on his final exam. “As of tonight I have graduated high school!” he exclaimed online .

15 Fort York Blvd.

Apartment 1503: some couches and paintings/ when you record with two others that want the same things/ it starts to feel better than home feels.

The Ride / Take Care

Photo:  Christopher Polk  / Getty Images

Pearson International Airport, Terminal 1

I haven’t been inside Terminal 1 and 3 in so long/ I’m driving up to it right now, make sure you got your coat on/ that runway can be cold especially after summer’s rolled on.

The Weeknd is one of the biggest pop stars in the world, and the twin pillar to Drake in Canadian urban music. In 2010, Abel Tesfaye, a.k.a. the Weeknd, exploded onto the scene in Toronto, with Drake lending a hand by posting some early singles from the musician’s debut mixtape House of Balloons on his OctobersVeryOwn blog . This put the Weeknd squarely on the music world’s radar, and he quickly sold out his first concert at Toronto’s Mod Club Theatre.

The Weeknd ultimately launched an imprint of his own called XO in 2012, despite rumours that he’d be joining the OVO label. The seeds of their rivalry, whether friendly or not, were likely planted by this choice. The two have continued to collaborate over the years, though, from the Weeknd's contributions to Drake’s highly praised Take Care album to Drake's surprise appearance at the Weeknd's hometown show in 2017. While their paths have diverged significantly since, their work together laid the foundation for Drake’s signature Toronto sound, which now serves as a template for new talent emerging from the city.

Nothing Was the Same

Drake’s third studio album,  Nothing Was the Same , was when audiences really started to see Toronto through the rapper’s eyes. Even though it coincides with his move to Calabasas, Calif., Nothing Was the Same is where Drake provided the city with not one, but two unofficial anthems: “ Started from the Bottom ” and “ Worst Behavior .” The former also comes with a video that is one of the greatest love letters to the city since Kardinal Offishall’s “ The Anthem .”

FEB. 13, 2013

Childhood home.

9 Coulson Ave.

In early 2013, Drake dropped his music video for “Started From the Bottom,” the first single from Nothing Was the Same . The clip, which now has more than 400 million views, featured locations across Toronto, including his childhood home at 9 Coulson Ave. While some criticized the rapper for describing his Forest Hill origins as the “bottom,” others praised the song and its video, which established some of Drake’s most iconic looks — including shots of him dancing in a Shoppers Drug Mart (located at 3027 Binbrook Rd.) and strutting down snowy Toronto streets next to his car. “Started From the Bottom” was eventually ranked one of the best songs of the year by Rolling Stone, Complex and XXL.

AUG. 2, 2013

Toronto city hall.

100 Queen St. W.

Drake and 40 partnered with the City of Toronto to help form the Toronto music advisory committee. In a post on then-mayor Rob Ford’s Facebook page , it was explained that “the purpose of the advisory committee is to assist with the creation of a strategic action plan that maximizes the impact of city support for the Toronto music industry.” Oliver El-Khatib added : “We’re proud to help the city we love foster music talent and to promote Toronto as a premier music destination.”

SEPT. 19, 2013

1000 Queen St. W.

To hype up the release of his new album, Nothing Was the Same , Drake launched three pop-up shops across North America. One of the locations was in Toronto, where fans lined up for hours to get their hands on Nothing Was the Same -themed gear, “ compliments of the company. ” Those who showed up were rewarded with free black hoodies that featured the album’s title on it in white block font. Drake’s third studio album debuted at No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard 200 and claimed the second highest first-week sales of any album in 2013.

SEPT. 30, 2013

The Toronto Raptors named Drake the team’s global ambassador. At a news conference held at the team’s home, then named the Air Canada Centre, Drake joined Raptors general manager Masai Ujiri, Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment CEO Tim Leiwekea and then-mayor Rob Ford to announce his new role in leading the team’s rebranding efforts. “I want to bring the excitement into this building, I want a team that people are dying to come see, I want the tickets to be extremely hard to get,” Drake told reporters . “I want to bring that aggression, I want to bring that energy. Obviously, I want it to be a top team in the NBA, if not the top team.”

JAN. 11, 2014

Mere months after he was named the Global Ambassador of the Toronto Raptors, Drake introduced the first-ever Drake Night at Scotiabank Arena. Some people were admittedly confused as to what the special evening entailed other than Drake introducing the players and commentating throughout the game. But, it also marked the beginning of a rumoured rebrand of the team, which included new OVO-themed black and gold colours. (The Raptors did eventually transition to those colours, and future Drake Nights featured limited-edition merch. One item, an OVO-Raptors-branded lint roller, became a much sought-after piece of memorabilia after Drake went viral using one courtside at a previous game . Some were listed for $55,000 on eBay.)

Swish by Han, Ristorante Sotto Sotto and Joso’s

Eatin’ like I’m seated at Swish, Sotto and Joso’s.

5AM in Toronto

Photo:  Rick Diamond  / Getty Images

Scarborough

Spendin’ all my days on the east side, oh/ forgettin’ who I was on the other side, oh.

Days in the East

Glengrove avenue.

This for shorty up on Glengrove who love when I catch my tempo.

Tuscan Leather / Nothing Was the Same

Morningside.

This ain’t the son you raised who used to take the Acura/ 5 a.m. then go and shoot Degrassi up on Morningside.

Worst Behavior / Nothing Was the Same

Rogers centre.

There’s three balls and a strike. Here’s the pitch. It’s belted deep to centre, Revere goes back, jumps the wall, and it’s gone!

Connect / Nothing Was the Same

Markham road.

I take Eglinton to 401 East and exit at Markham Road in the east end/ where all the pretty girls are sleeping.

Budweiser Stage

This has been years in the making/ it’s all for the city, they know I come right every summer.

The Language / Nothing Was the Same

Ristorante sotto sotto and il mulino.

After hours of Il Mulino or Sotto Sotto, just talkin’ women and vino.

Pound Cake/Paris Morton Music 2 / Nothing Was the Same

On the east side of the city, that’s where everybody stay.

The Motion / Nothing Was the Same

If the image of Drake awkwardly dancing in a turtleneck in front of neon lights is forever burned into your memory, you can thank Director X. Toronto’s Julien Lutz, a.k.a. Director X, is the visionary behind some of Drake’s most memorable videos including   “ Started from the Bottom,” “Worst Behavior,” “HYFR” and “Hotline Bling.” X got his start interning for famed music video director Hype Williams in the late ’90s, working on some of Williams’s most iconic productions, including the 1998 feature film Belly . That was the same year X got his first break as a solo director on EPMD’s “Richter Scale.” From there, X has gone on to direct not only music videos with the likes of Jay-Z, Justin Bieber and, of course, Drake, but also feature films, including the 2018 blaxploitation reboot Superfly . X also introduced Drake to another key music video collaborator, Toronto’s Karena Evans, the young talent behind Drake’s viral videos for songs like “God’s Plan,” “Nice for What” and the Degrassi reunion in   “ I’m Upset.”

If You're Reading This It's Too Late

More than any other year, 2015 saw Drake at his most prolific. Not only did he release two albums, but he also handily beat Meek Mill in a rap beef while simultaneously paying homage to the Blue Jays’ ’92, ’93 repeat championships. On top of all this, it’s the year Drake truly immortalized Toronto as the 6ix with songs like   “ Know Yourself,” which saw him running through the city with his woes while replacing the longstanding nickname of the T-dot for a new generation of music fans. 

JULY 29, 2015

The skydome (formerly).

1 Blue Jays Way

In the midst of a growing feud with Philadelphia rapper Meek Mill, Drake released his second diss track, “Back to Back Freestyle.” The cover art for the single drew just as much attention as the track itself: a photo of Toronto Blue Jays player Joe Carter famously hitting a walk-off home run in Game 6 of the 1993 World Series against the Philadelphia Phillies. In response, Carter joked to TMZ : “Can’t we all just get along?” A few days later, at OVO Fest 2015, Drake opened his show with his diss tracks, “Charged Up” and “Back to Back Freestyle,” while memes of Meek Mill were projected behind him.

Kennedy Road

I got real ones livin’ past Kennedy Road/ I got real ones with me everywhere that I go.

Energy / If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late

Photo:  Kevin Winter  / Getty Images

Yeah, this that Oliver, 40, Niko shit man/ 15 Fort York shit, y’know?

Know Yourself / If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late

Now I’m in the east ’cause my boys are gettin’ right.

Star67 / If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late

Mississauga.

Sauga city trip the payday.

Preach / If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late

The hazelton hotel.

I’ll tell ‘em link up at the valet at the Hazy.

Used To / If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late

Weston road and scarlett road.

Do you remember back to Weston Road, Scarlett Road?

You and the 6 / If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late

Lawrence heights.

She from the jungle, she from the jungle.

Jungle / If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late

What a time to be alive.

At the height of his power in 2015, Drake released a second mixtape, What a Time to Be Alive , his collaboration with Atlanta rapper Future. Featuring continued digs at Meek Mill, the tracks acted as a victory lap for Drake while broadening his list of close collaborators (producer Metro Boomin takes the reins on the majority of the production along with 40, Boi-1da and Frank Dukes in supporting roles). The album became both Drake’s and Future’s second to debut at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 that year, solidifying both artists’ firm grip on the charts.

SEPTEMBER 2015

Ryerson university.

350 Victoria St.

Drake made Ryerson’s downtown campus the place to be by making a surprise appearance at the university’s frosh week events with special guest Future in 2015. If that wasn’t enough, he did it again the following year.

SEPT. 21, 2015

Fring’s (now closed).

455 King St. W.

Drake celebrated the opening of Toronto chef Susur Lee’s new restaurant, Fring’s shortly after his Ryerson appearance. While many assumed he was connected to the business — his own business partner, Angelo Ferraro, co-owned the joint with Lee’s family — Drake’s biggest role was providing the restaurant with its name. In a statement to the New York Times , Drake explained that the phrase meant “something you pull from your own emotions, from a happy time.” Fring’s closed on June 23, 2018.

SEPT. 30, 2015

The bridle path.

North York, Toronto

In 2015, Drake bought $6.7 million worth of property in Toronto’s Bridle Path neighbourhood to construct his own home, which is estimated to be a 40,000 square-foot mansion. Four years later, the project is still in progress but fans have gotten glimpses of the space including an OVO-branded indoor basketball court.

NOV. 19, 2015

Toronto’s most influential.

Monthly magazine Toronto Life named Drake the No. 1 most influential person in the city . He beat out political figures John Tory and Kathleen Wynne, as well as the former Toronto Blue Jay José Bautista, Bell Media’s Randy Lennox and fellow musician the Weeknd. “Today, as far as the rest of the world is concerned, Drake is Toronto,” the publication stated.

I got a club in the Raptors arena/ championships, celebrations during regular seasons.

30 for 30 Freestyle / What a Time to Be Alive

There are two ways to look at Drake precariously perched atop the CN Tower on the album cover of Views : He could be the lonely megastar, whose immense fame only makes him more reclusive, preferring the solitary height of the tower to the rest of the world, or he could be the triumphant king, perched atop the city’s most iconic structure, looking down at what he’s helped create. But on the album itself, Drake was both. Views was where we got some of Drake’s most self-reflective lines, but we also got some of the best odes to his hometown. 

FEB. 22, 2016

The real jerk.

842 Gerrard St. E.

In January 2016, Rihanna dropped her single   “ Work,” featuring Drake. The track became his third No. 1 Billboard Hot 100 single, and his second with Rihanna after 2010’s   “ What’s My Name.” The video, which Rihanna released the following month, was shot by Director X at Toronto’s the Real Jerk restaurant. While the restaurant’s co-owner, Edward Pottinger, was hesitant to rent out the space at first, he later on agreed, telling CBC Toronto : “I realized how powerful it would be to have the name associated with us. Realizing it was the No. 1 male and female rapper/pop stars in the world, it was, ‘OK, let’s do this thing.’”

APRIL 24, 2016

301 Front St. W.

You can’t be the king of the 6ix without the hardware to match, so it’s appropriate that Toronto Mayor John Tory gave Drake the key to the city on this day. Prior to this, Drake and the mayor met for a closed-door, 90-minute meeting in which the rapper expressed his concerns for the city, including his thoughts on gun violence and the need for more programs for at-risk youth.

JUNE 19, 2016

Drake’s tourism appeal.

The Toronto Star reported that Drake’s influence and impact on Toronto’s economy, either through tourism or branding by using the name “the 6ix,” was worth “in conservative terms, at least $3 million,” according to research firm Charlton Strategic Research Inc. Another firm, Enigma Research, estimated that Drake’s annual OVO Fest drew in “$5 million on the low end and up to $20 million” in business for places like hotels, restaurants and the tourism industry in general. Two years later, Vice wrote a similar piece , claiming that the rapper could be responsible for five per cent of Toronto’s $8.8-billion US tourism economy. While it's difficult to quantify the exact cost of Drake's impact, it's undeniable that his fame has increased the city's tourism appeal.

JULY 31, 2016

Ripley’s aquarium of canada.

288 Bremner Blvd.

Rihanna made her first surprise appearance at OVO Fest in 2016, performing her Drake collaborations   “ Work” and “Too Good,” as well as “Needed Me” and “Bitch Better Have My Money” off of her album Anti . The night before this performance, Drake and Rihanna allegedly went on a late-night date at Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada. “He booked out the place after midnight and had them set up a fancy dinner right in front of the glass,” LaineyGossip reported. In September, Rihanna showed off a new camouflage shark tattoo that many suspect is a replica of a toy shark Drake gave her on this date . 

SEPT. 30, 2016

Virginia black.

Various locations

In 2016, Drake announced his latest business venture: liquor. Virginia Black was his new brand of whisky, which collaborator and beverage entrepreneur Brent Hocking described as “uniquely positioned to redefine American whisky.” While it’s unclear if it fully redefined anything, it was a smash hit in Ontario when it hit shelves in September. On its first day at the LCBO, it broke the record for the largest single-day launch sales in the store’s history . A few weeks later, Virginia Black became available in B.C., Manitoba and Alberta. 

Four Seasons Hotel

Out front of Four Seasons lookin’ like a damn football team.

Summer Sixteen

Kennedy Road taught me not to trust people like you.

Keep the Family Close / Views

You was ridin’ TTC metro, I had the place boomin’.

Weston Road Flows / Views

Fluid lounge (now closed).

Big Apple had the white Hummer parked right in front of Fluid.

How did I finesse all of this shit from Jane and Weston?

Still Here / Views

4301 kingston rd..

This sound like some 43-01 shit.

Pop Style / Views

Jaydees connections.

I worked at Jaydees Connections whenever Jason let me.

Views / Views

Ceesay’s m&m sporting goods.

Ceesay’s I was buyin’ fitteds everyday.

Dufferin St. and Eglinton Ave. W.

Kiddie Caribana, tryin’ not to catch a stray.

Architects takin’ dimensions, they redoin’ the entrance.

4PM in Calabasas

Photo: Kevin Winter / Getty Images

Even when Drake has global ambitions — such as on the genre-spanning playlist More Life , which covers everything from London grime music to Afrobeats and South African house — he still has Toronto in the back of his mind.

SEPT. 9, 2017

The princess of wales theatre.

300 King St. W.

At the 2017 Toronto International Film Festival, Drake attended the screening of The Carter Effect , a documentary about the career of former Raptors player Vince Carter. In addition to starring in the film, Drake was also credited as a producer alongside Future the Prince, LeBron James and Maverick Carter. In 2018, The Carter Effect was picked up by Netflix.

Vaughan Road Academy, star player.

Two Birds, One Stone

It’s a east side ting, eh?

Free Smoke / More Life

Kingston-galloway.

If Gilla call shots, no questions/ G-Way ’til I’m resting/ but we still got love for the west end.

No Long Talk / More Life

Can’t get Nobu, but you can get Milestone.

Gyalchester / More Life

I gotta do mansion ’cause I outgrew condo.

It’s a Habibiz ting.

Portland / More Life

Queen street.

Queen Street visions that nobody believed in.

Lose You / More Life

Niagara falls.

We evolved, used to think vacation meant Niagara Falls.

Can’t Have Everything / More Life

All that Drake hysteria/ 6 side, east side, all that for my area.

SilverCity Cinemas and Indigo Books

Yeah, used to be at SilverCity, Indigo.

Do Not Disturb / More Life

Rogers centre, formerly known as skydome.

Might move our annual shit to the ’Dome/ I need 40,000 people to see what I’m on.

Club Palazzo

Went from Club Palazzo in the Bridge to Club LIV.

By 2018, Drake had broken so many sales records that he became bigger than the Beatles . An unprecedented seven songs from Scorpion landed within the Billboard Top 10 simultaneously, topping the Beatles' 1964 record of five. Scorpion also became the first album to be streamed one billion times in its first week, which was helped by the strength of No. 1 songs “God’s Plan,” “Nice for What” and “In My Feelings.” Pair that with a historic championship win by the Toronto Raptors, and it put Drake — and his city — on top of the world. 

MARCH 14, 2019

Toronto raptors training centre.

30 British Columbia Rd.

As part of a new naming rights deal, the Toronto Raptors renamed their training facilities the OVO Athletic Centre. Drake, who’s been the basketball team’s global ambassador for six years, took to social media to share the news: “I am so proud of my brothers and so proud to be from this city,” he wrote . “I swear this one feels like a high school dream and it’s a blessing to be able to raise up the levels and make the human mind stretch when it comes to thinking about what is possible in your lifetime!” The outside of the building was also rebranded with a gold Raptors basketball logo next to OVO’s owl symbol. 

JUNE 13, 2019

Raptors championship.

Scotiabank Arena, 40 Bay St.

After a tense NBA playoffs run, which included Drake getting criticized for his wild courtside behaviour and trading barbs with Golden State players Kevin Durant and Steph Curry, the Raptors won their first NBA championship title in June 2019. While the winning game took place at Oakland’s Oracle Arena, Drake watched on with hundreds of fans outside Scotiabank Arena at Jurassic Park. When asked by the press how the win felt for him, he said, “This is poetic. The 6ix in six.” Two days later, he released two new songs, “Omertà” and “Money in the Grave” featuring Rick Ross, to celebrate the momentous win.

AUG. 1-2, 2019

Tiff bell lightbox.

350 King St. W.

Cryptic OVO X RBC co-branded billboards began appearing across Toronto, but were soon revealed to be teasers for a new edition of the OVO Summit, an “ immersive conference for Canadian creatives and lifestyle entrepreneurs ” that’s part of Drake’s annual OVO Fest. This marked the first time OVO Summit would be open to the public and it specifically targeted young people looking to grow their careers and “make a lasting impact on the creative economy in Canada.” 

AUG. 3, 2019

Ovo store eaton centre.

CF Toronto Eaton Centre, 220 Yonge St.

To coincide with OVO Fest, OVO opened its fourth Toronto storefront in one of North America’s busiest shopping malls, the Toronto Eaton Centre. The 2,890 square-foot space was formerly occupied by Lululemon and features interior columns imported from Portugal as well as steel fixtures and marble stone plinths brought in from Italy. On the morning of its opening, a line of fans snaked around the mall’s third floor waiting to purchase the latest OVO merch. 

AUG. 4-5, 2019

9th annual ovo fest.

Budweiser Stage, 909 Lake Shore Blvd. W.

After taking a year off, OVO Fest returned in 2019. The two-day concert included performances by B2K, Mario, Pretty Ricky, Lloyd, Ying Yang Twins, Chingy and Bobby V on the first night, with Drake headlining the second. Drake’s evening featured a giant replica of the Larry O’Brien trophy as well as the real one, which the rapper walked onstage holding. As usual, Drake also invited a number of high-profile guests to perform: Cardi B, Chris Brown, Rick Ross, Meek Mill, Tyga, Da Baby, Megan Thee Stallion and Gucci Mane.

All factual, I call the house ‘the embassy’/ the studio ‘the chapel,’ I hate to travel.

Diplomatic Immunity / Scary Hours

Photo: Frazer Harrison / Getty Images

Vegas like Marineland, that big whale treatment.

Elevate / Scorpion

Weston road.

I finessed down Weston Road, ayy, ’nessed.

God’s Plan / Scorpion

Scarlett road.

I’ve been me since Scarlett Road, ayy, road, ayy.

The Ritz-Carlton

Sick of this shit, move to the Ritz.

Mob Ties / Scorpion

Watch the eight-part series Drake’s Plan on CBC Gem.

Listen to the Drake & Co. playlist on CBC Listen.

Explore a Decade of Drake on CBC Music.

Produced by Jesse Kinos-Goodin & Melody Lau Researched & Written by Caitlin Dosa , Jesse Kinos-Goodin , Melody Lau & Ian Steaman Copy Edited by Sheena Goodyear , Holly Gordon & Lakshine Sathiyanathan

Designed by Andrew McManus Developed by Mike Evans , Geoff Isaac & Rebecca Viegas Animation & Line Art by Ben Shannon

Executive Producers Ben Aylsworth & Paul Gorbould

Senior Producers Jess Huddleston, Chantale Maynard & Andrew McManus

Special Thanks Chelsey Gould

©2020 CBC/Radio-Canada . All rights reserved.

Drake Is Bringing A Rotating 360-Degree Stage To His ‘It’s All A Blur Tour’ With 21 Savage

Drake and 21 Savage are preparing to perform ( at least ) 29 North American dates for their It’s All A Blur Tour , as announced by Drake via Instagram on Monday, March 13, after months of teasing his intent to tour in 2023 . The stage had been set in November with the release of Drake and 21’s collaborative Her Loss , which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and housed the top-10 Hot 100 hit “ Spin Bout U .”

View this post on Instagram A post shared by champagnepapi (@champagnepapi)

Cash App customers got the first crack at tickets during Wednesday’s (March 15) presale, giving the everyone else their first look at the It’s All A Blur stage setup and seat map. Guys, Drake is giving us a 360-degree rotating stage. (As a byproduct, “Spin Bout U” live is likely to go crazy .)

Drake's "It's All A Blur" tour will have a rotating 360 degree concert stage design pic.twitter.com/jukIxh0iNO — SOUND (@itsavibe) March 15, 2023

https://twitter.com/CIRC0L0C0/status/1635297246668529668?s=20

Wednesday’s Cash App presale also resulted in fans lamenting ticket prices reportedly running as high as $1,000 .

Me thinking imma get Drake tickets for $250 pic.twitter.com/eQhIJHZbsh — EARTH ANGEL (@MISSBETHANYMAE) March 15, 2023

Drake ticket prices are wild for the Atlanta show. I didn’t even pay this to see Beyoncé pic.twitter.com/RbZAMOHd8i — … (@Iamnishhh) March 15, 2023

me after buying drake tickets pic.twitter.com/eGLj2AyHgH — bianka🩷 (@biankaflores_) March 14, 2023

The next presale is scheduled for Thursday , March 16, and is exclusive to those with an access code provided by Sprite , the official tour sponsor. The general public sale is scheduled for Friday, March 17, beginning at noon local time.

All ticket information is available here .

See all of the announced It’s All A Blur Tour dates below. More dates are expected to be added, including Toronto.

06/16 — New Orleans, LA @ Smoothie King Center 06/19 — Nashville, TN @ Bridgestone Arena 06/21 — Houston, TX @ Toyota Center 06/24 — Dallas, TX @ American Airlines Center 06/28 — Miami, FL @ Miami-Dade Arena 07/01 — Atlanta, GA @ State Farm Arena 07/02 — Atlanta, GA @ State Farm Arena 07/05 — Chicago, IL @ United Center 07/06 — Chicago, IL @ United Center 07/08 — Detroit, MI @ Little Caesars Arena 07/11 — Boston, MA @ TD Garden 07/12 — Boston, MA @ TD Garden 07/14 — Montreal, QC @ Bell Centre 07/17 — Brooklyn, NY @ Barclays Center 07/18 — Brooklyn, NY @ Barclays Center 07/25 — New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden 07/26 — New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden 07/28 — Washington, DC @ Capital One Arena 07/31 — Philadelphia, PA @ Wells Fargo Center 08/12 — Inglewood, CA @ Kia Forum 08/13 — Inglewood, CA @ Kia Forum 08/18 — San Francisco, CA @ Chase Center 08/21 — Los Angeles, CA @ Crypto.com Arena 08/22 — Los Angeles, CA @ Crypto.com Arena 08/25 — Seattle, WA @ Climate Pledge Arena 08/28 — Vancouver, BC @ Rogers Arena 09/01 — Las Vegas, NV @ T-Mobile Arena 09/05 — Glendale, AZ @ Desert Diamond Arena

Drake’s It’s All a Blur tour with 21 Savage is coming to L.A. and Inglewood

• Copy Link URL Copied!

Drake announced Monday his It’s All a Blur tour with 21 Savage, the first North American tour for the Toronto rapper in five years.

Making 28 stops in the U.S. and Canada, the tour includes four Los Angeles-area shows in August: two at L.A.’s Crypto Arena and two more in Inglewood at the Kia Forum. Noticeably absent from the list of cities was Toronto, which will be added at a later date, along with other cities, according to a Live Nation statement.

The last time Drake toured in North America was 2018, with the Aubrey & the Three Migos tour , which featured Atlanta trio Migos. He followed that with an arena tour in Europe in 2019.

Out: Drake as romantically wronged rapper. In: Drake as romantically wronged house diva

Composed almost entirely of club music jams in which he raps as little as he ever has, Drake’s seventh studio album marks a change in course.

June 20, 2022

It’s All a Blur is being marketed as a retrospective of Drake’s career in the time since, including the release of his four most recent studio albums — “Scorpion,” “Certified Lover Boy,” “Honestly, Nevermind” and “Her Loss,” the last of which Drake recorded with 21 Savage.

Zooming out even further, Drake’s label, OVO Sound, announced the tour on Twitter and Instagram with a video montage set to ethereal instrumentals with shots from his “Nothing Was the Same” (2013) years, packed with blurry, candid shots of a younger Drake on the road, culminating in more recent footage of the rapper playing with his son, Adonis.

Some fans were buying the nostalgia, with one user tweeting , “Wow man, look how time flies. Loved growing with these albums over the years.”

Vogue sues Drake, 21 Savage over fake magazines they made to plug new album ‘Her Loss’

Publisher Condé Nast sues hip-hop stars Drake and 21 Savage for distributing fake magazines that allegedly infringed on Vogue magazine’s trademark.

Nov. 8, 2022

“Damn, these visuals remind me how much I’ve grown, some of them are from high school,” another reminisced .

“Why it look like you retiring,” someone else asked.

To promote their 2022 chart-topping album, Drake and Atlanta-based 21 Savage released a string of stunts including a spoof of NPR’s Tiny Desk concert series and fake Vogue magazine covers . Vogue eventually sued the pair for $4 million. The two parties settled the suit last month for an undisclosed amount, according to reports.

Entertainment & Arts

Drake is fighting an order to appear for deposition tied to XXXTentacion murder trial

A court has told Drake to sit for a deposition in the trial of three men for the murder of rapper XXXTentacion. His attorneys are fighting the order.

Feb. 13, 2023

More recently, Drake has been dodging attorneys’ attempts to drag him into the murder trial of Jahseh Onfroy (the stage name of the late Florida rapper XXXTentacion, who was killed in 2018).

Presale tickets go live on Wednesday at 12 p.m. local time for Cash App cardholders and on Thursday, also at noon, for those who sign up with Sprite .

Find all the announced tour dates here .

More to Read

The 9 best moments from Olivia Rodrigo’s first Forum show

Aug. 14, 2024

Drake posts video of his flooded mansion during Toronto’s historic summer storm

July 17, 2024

Kendrick Lamar’s bringing Juneteenth to the Forum: How to watch him pop out and show

June 19, 2024

The biggest entertainment stories

Get our big stories about Hollywood, film, television, music, arts, culture and more right in your inbox as soon as they publish.

You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.

Jonah Valdez is a former reporter at the Los Angeles Times on the Fast Break entertainment news team. Before joining The Times as a member of the 2021-22 Los Angeles Times Fellowship class, he worked for the Southern California News Group, where he wrote award-winning features. His work can also be found at his hometown newspaper, the San Diego Union-Tribune, Voice of San Diego and San Diego Reader.

More From the Los Angeles Times

Travis Scott cleared of both charges stemming from June arrest in Miami

Aug. 30, 2024

Cause of death determined for Lucy-Bleu Knight, daughter of Slash’s girlfriend

Desert Daze festival is canceled: ‘This is a tough year’

María Zardoya, of the Marías, chooses to relive her breakup every night

Aug. 29, 2024

• Manage Account

All of the Times Drake Has Been Charitable With Fans on His Big as the What? Tour

The rapper has been sharing his wealth with fans at his shows, paying off everything from health bills to mortgages.

By Michael Saponara

Michael Saponara

• Share on Facebook
• Share to Flipboard
• Share on Pinterest
• + additional share options added
• Share on Tumblr
• Share on Reddit
• Share on LinkedIn
• Share on Whats App
• Send an Email
• Print this article
• Post a Comment

Drake has been a charitable man. He turned his generosity into the theme of his diamond-certified “God’s Plan” video in 2018, which found the 6 God giving away thousands of dollars to families in need.

Years later, Drizzy has continued to level up his bank account and is making sure to give back to those who give him their endless support.

Here Are All the Luxury Fan Gifts Drake Has Given Away on The It’s All a Blur Tour

A few instances of him blessing fans went viral on his It’s All a Blur Tour in 2023, and he’s nearly made it a nightly occurrence on the Big as the What? Tour leg with J. Cole, which kicked off in Tampa Bay, Fla., on Feb. 2, and wraps up in New Jersey in April.

Drake’s always had a special connection to the OVO faithful as they continue this nearly two-decade journey, but these days, it’s going to another level.

Fans have brought posters, notes and more to shows hoping to get the 6 God’s attention. As a result, Drake has turned the altruism into part of his set while shouting out some of his favorites and gifting them with cash — sometimes dishing out more than six figures.

“The way we give back is legit. It’s on the ground,” he told Rap Radar in 2019. “It’s not so you guys can all double tap and say, ‘Wow!'”

Drake’s generosity touched numerous OVO fans on the 2024 trek and changed their lives forever. Below, find all of the charitable moves the 6 God has made on his It’s All A Blur – Big as the What? Tour.

Feb. 2, 2024: Drake Makes It Rain $10,000 for an Exotic Dancer's First Day on the Job

Before taking the stage for night one of the second leg in Tampa, Drake hooked a stripper up with $10,000 to make sure her first day on the job got off on the right foot. Footage showed the rapper blessing the woman via FaceTime in the backroom of what looks to be an adult entertainment establishment.

“This her first night and he gave her $10,000,” a person said while on FaceTime with Drizzy. “She talking about she fine now. [Drake] gave her $10,000 for her first night here.”

Drake giving out money to the exotic dancers through Facetime pic.twitter.com/ibc5WOuQIV — 2Cool2Blog (@2Cool2Blog) February 3, 2024

Feb. 7, 2024: Cancer Survivor Surprised With $100,000 in Nashville

A perseverant fan attended Drake’s Nashville show on Feb. 7 to celebrate finishing chemotherapy and the “Nice for What” rapper took notice of the brave woman’s sign.

“Listen, forget Drake, forget anybody else in this building right now. That’s a true soldier right there,” the rapper said, which drew an ovation from the audience. “I hope my manager doesn’t kill me ’cause I’ve never really done this much, but, listen, I want you to cash this in at the end of the night. We’re gonna give you $100,000. I love you and I wish you the best.”

According to a report from  The Tennessean , the fan was identified as Lauren Schwallie and she has been fighting breast cancer since 2022. “One thing led to another and I was at the front of the stage and Drake blew me a kiss and told me that he loved me! That’s all I was focused on … And then just like the money on top of it is just insane,” she told the publication.

Drake gives $100,000 to a fan who completed chemotherapy 🙏🏽 (📹 IG/therealgavhill) pic.twitter.com/os0C75ZiEj — Hot Freestyle (@HotFreestyle) February 8, 2024

Feb. 8, 2024: Clears Student Loan Debt With $20,000 Check

Uncle Sam was calling and Drake came to the rescue to bail an OVO fan out of a precarious financial situation.

Drizzy cleared a student’s loan debt with a $20,000 check after reading their sign at the second of back-to-back shows in Nashville Feb. 8.

“I don’t know if I fully agree with you because I feel like student loans gotta get paid,” Drake told the girl from the Bridgestone Arena stage. “But lucky for you, I hope $20,000 will cover it. Cash that in. Pay those student loans off for you.”

@limitlessculture Drake Gives Away $20,000 to Pay student Loans #credit #creditrepair #drake #drakeconcert2024 #drizzydrake #drizzy #champagnepapi ♬ original sound – Mike the Credit Guy

Feb. 12, 2024: Brings Canada's Universal Healthcare Ideology to America

Medical bills can be a daunting burden for people without quality health insurance, so a fan shot their shot at seeing if Drake would come through and cover the costs of an upcoming surgery. The half-court heave somehow worked out for them, with the OVO rapper agreeing to bring Canada’s universal healthcare ideology to America.

“You got a sign that says, ‘Please help me with my surgery.’ I don’t know what kinda surgery you need, sir. I really don’t but I’ma let you know from me to you St. Louis love, we gon’ take care whatever the surgery is,” Drake promised. “We gonna help you out because we want you to be at the next show with us. You gotta show us love.”

The fan’s face appeared on the Enterprise Center jumbotron as he emotionally reacted to Drake’s declaration. It’s unclear how much the surgery actually is.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by DJ Akademiks (@akademiks)

Feb. 21, 2024: Fan Who Drove 10 Hours in 'Beater' Car Gets $30,000

Just about everyone has fond memories of their first car. Maybe it was something that wasn’t the nicest, but it had a certain aura about it that you just refused to let go. One young woman drove 10 hours in her “beater” car — a risky proposition for a drive that distance — to see Drake at his Columbus, Ohio, show.

She also brought multiple signs to communicate with the Toronto rap star. One revealed how Drake’s music helped her get through a time when she was suicidal, and another tugged on his heartstrings: “I drove 10 hours by myself in my beater & still made it.”

After finding out she lived with her family, Drake gifted her $15,000, and another $15,000 to help out her loved ones at home.

“I don’t know what you need in life, but here, take this,” he said. “I’mma give you $15,000 to do what you want to do and I’m gonna give you another $15,000 to your family to make your life sweeter.”

@xoxo.luvsophia The drake concert was such an amazing night but the way he praises God and encourages love into everyones life is so touching! He has truly blessed @kiara a deserving military women and her family! And Kiara if you are seeing this i thank you for your time, your service and i want to welcome you back home, nothing is harder than leaving your country, your family, your friends and your life to protect all of us! You are so strong! #drake #drakeconcert2024 #drakeandjcoletour #drakeandjcoleconcert2024 #draketour2024 #drakeconcert #itsallablurtour #drakeblessed ♬ original sound – xoxo.luvsophia

Feb. 25, 2024: Superfan Gets Free Tickets for Life

Missing out on a favorite artist’s concert in your hometown can be more heartbreaking than a breakup or seeing your favorite NFL team lose in the playoffs. But Drake did his part to make sure that first situation never arises for one Cleveland superfan.

During a Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse concert, Drizzy saw the fan’s sign — which listed all the artist’s shows they had been to — on the general admission floor, and promised them free tickets to any show they want in the future for the rest of their life.

“So first and foremost, we’re gonna give you free tickets to any show that you ever want,” Drake pledged.

@vidabeautybabe Drake showing fan love in Clevelsnd Free tickets for life abd $10K to go shopping Make rhe sign! #drakefan ♬ original sound – Vanessa D

March 2, 2024: Pays for Fan's Late Mom's Six-Figure Mortgage

Seconds after giving away $10,000 to a fan on one side of Kansas City’s T-Mobile Center, Drake walked across the stage and peeped at another looking for a saving grace. This particular fan lost their mother and was hoping the 6 God could pay off his late parent’s mortgage.

The fan sent a letter to Drake on stage showing the outstanding six-figure balance, which made Drizzy pause for a second in shock.

“You said, ‘[Pay] off my mom’s house, rest in peace.’ Your mom passed away? Alright. And you owe …,” Drake said. “Oh, this is the outstanding balance right here. This is a lot of money right here.”

“But you know what, Imma pay off your mama’s house for you,” Drake continued, sending the crowd into a frenzy. “That’s gonna come from me. Rest in peace to your mama.”

@tmobilecenter #Drake gives 10k to one fan and pays off a house for another fan whose Mom passed away. N1 in KC at #tmobilecenter So generous. ♬ original sound – T-Mobile Center

March 3, 2024: Drake Plays 'Rich Baby Daddy' & Gifts Soon-to-Be Parents With $20,000

“Rich Baby Daddy” will be taking on a whole new meaning for one couple after Drake played the role and wired them $20,000 to alleviate some of the financial stress that comes with having a child.

The soon-to-be parents at the March 3 Kansas City show crafted a sign featuring sonogram photos while channeling the 6 God’s signature gambling tagline: “Expecting our 1st baby in August ANITA MAX WYNN.”

Drake congratulated the couple before fattening their pockets with 20 racks. “Ay, congratulations,” the rapper, who is dad to son Adonis, said. “You about to be a dad? Well, I don’t know what you need for your baby. You probably need like a nice crib, stroller, you know probably take your girl on vacation. I’m gonna give you $20,000.”

Get weekly rundowns straight to your inbox

Want to know what everyone in the music business is talking about?

Get in the know on.

Billboard is a part of Penske Media Corporation. © 2024 Billboard Media, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

optional screen reader

Charts expand charts menu.

• Billboard Hot 100™
• Billboard 200™
• Hits Of The World™
• TikTok Billboard Top 50
• Songs Of The Summer
• Song Breaker
• Year-End Charts
• Decade-End Charts

Music Expand music menu

• R&B/Hip-Hop

Videos Expand videos menu

Culture expand culture menu, media expand media menu, business expand business menu.

• Business News
• Record Labels
• View All Pro

Pro Tools Expand pro-tools menu

• Songwriters & Producers
• Artist Index
• Royalty Calculator
• Market Watch
• Industry Events Calendar

Billboard Español Expand billboard-espanol menu

• Cultura y Entretenimiento

Get Up Anthems by Tres Expand get-up-anthems-by-tres menu

Honda music expand honda-music menu.

Stripe Customer ID

• Spotify Confirms Volume Control Issues on iOS, Takes Aim At Apple for Allegedly Discontinuing the Underlying Tech
• Don’t Stop Believin’ in a Journey World Tour — Band Is Back on the Road as Members Settle Their Legal Differences
• Sean Kingston’s Legal Woes Continue — Wire Fraud Indictment, Unpaid Jewelry Bills (And No ‘Beautiful Girls’)
• Sonos Royally Borked Its App — But Don’t Worry, They’re Working On It
• RIAA Reports US Mid-Year 2024 Recorded Music Revenues Up 4% to $8.7 Billion — Though Paid Subscriptions Bump Just 2.7% Year-Over-Year
• Is Warner Music Really Achieving ‘Strong Subscription Streaming Growth’? We Crunched the Numbers to Find Out
• How Much Artists Make Per Stream on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon, YouTube, Pandora, More
• Live Concert Industry

Drake Announces ‘It’s A Blur’ 2023 Tour With 21 Savage

Drake has announced his 2023 ‘It’s All A Blur’ tour featuring 21 Savage in a 29-date arena run.

‘It’s All A Blur’ is Drake’s first return to touring since his 2018 tour with the Three Migos. The title hints at the tour being a celebration of the last decade—because catalog tours are so hot right now. In the last five years, Drake has dropped four albums, including Her Loss in collaboration with 21 Savage.

Tickets will be available for Cash App Card and Sprite presales beginning on March 15. Additional presales will run throughout the week ahead of the general onsale which begins March 17 at 12pm local time. Cash App and Visa are presenting the first ticket presale event for its customers.

For more information about ticket availability and ticket presale times, check out drakerelated.com. Presale availability for tickets depends on being a Cash App or Sprite customer—so get ready to jump through those hoops if you want tickets before general admission goes on sale. You’ll need the first nine digits of your Cash Card to use that method.

Drake 2023 ‘It’s All A Blur’ Tour — featuring 21 Savage

• 16 | Smoothie King Center — New Orleans, LA
• 19 | Bridgestone Arena — Nashville, TN
• 21 | Toyota Center — Houston, TX
• 24 | American Airlines Center — Dallas, TX
• 28 | Miami-Dade Arena — Miami, FL
• 01 | State Farm Arena — Atlanta, GA
• 02 | State Farm Arena — Atlanta, GA
• 05 | United Center — Chicago, IL
• 06 | United Center — Chicago, IL
• 08 | Little Caesars Arena — Detroit, MI
• 11 | TD Garden — Boston, MA
• 12 | TD Garden — Boston, MA
• 17 | Barclays Center — Brooklyn, NY
• 18 | Barclays Center — Brooklyn, NY
• 25 | Madison Square Garden — New York, NY
• 26 | Madison Square Garden — New York, NY
• 28 | Capital One Arena — Washington, DC
• 31 | Wells Fargo Center — Philadelphia, PA
• 12 | Kia Forum — Inglewood, CA
• 13 | Kia Forum — Inglewood, CA
• 21 | Crypto.com Arena — Los Angeles, CA
• 22 | Crypto.com Arena — Los Angeles, CA
• 25 | Climate Pledge Arena — Seattle, WA
• 28 | Rogers Arena — Vancouver, BC
• 01 | T-Mobile Arena — Las Vegas, NV
• 05 | Desert Diamon Arena — Glendale, AZ

• pop Culture
• Facebook Navigation Icon
• Twitter Navigation Icon
• WhatsApp icon
• Instagram Navigation Icon
• Youtube Navigation Icon
• Snapchat Navigation Icon
• TikTok Navigation Icon
• newsletters
• family style
• Youtube logo nav bar 0 youtube
• Instagram Navigation Icon instagram
• Twitter Navigation Icon x
• Facebook logo facebook
• TikTok Navigation Icon tiktok
• Snapchat Navigation Icon snapchat

Complex Global

• united states
• united kingdom
• netherlands
• philippines
• complex chinese

Work with us

terms of use

privacy policy

cookie settings

california privacy

public notice

accessibility statement

COMPLEX participates in various affiliate marketing programs, which means COMPLEX gets paid commissions on purchases made through our links to retailer sites. Our editorial content is not influenced by any commissions we receive.

© Complex All Rights Reserved.

J. Cole's Manager Reveals Why Tour With Drake Won't Hit Certain Major Cities

"Gotta pull back up to some of those markets we use to grind through on the come up," said Ibrahim “Ib” Hamad about the upcoming joint tour.

There’s a method to the madness for J. Cole ’s upcoming tour with Drake , according to Cole's manager.

On Monday, it was announced that the two will go on the road together in 2024 for a joint run dubbed It’s All a Blur Tour: Big as the What?

Ibrahim “Ib” Hamad , Cole’s manager, took to X to share his excitement about the upcoming trek, writing, “Starting 2024 off right. Back on road with the 🦉 family for a special run of markets we don’t always get to go to on tour. Excited to hit those cities again. Tickets on sale Friday.”

When one fan shouted out the choice of cities, Ib continued, “Gotta pull up to some of those markets we use to grind through on the come up. Can’t wait to see those cities again, been a minute.”

When asked why the tour wouldn’t visit other stops such as Washington, D.C., Hamad further clarified, “I feel your pain 😂 but this is not a major city run, the run is for the secondary market we don’t get to go to as much and do shows like how we use to. All Love to DC though ❤️.”

Pressed in an Instagram comment about why Cole and Drake won’t “pull up to North Carolina” because “dats Cole,” Ib reminded the fan about Dreamville Festival 2024.

“We literally have a festival in North Carolina a few weeks after 😂,” he wrote .

It’s All a Blur Tour: Big as the What? is set to kick off on Jan. 18 in Denver, Colorado before visiting San Antonio, New Orleans, Tampa, Nashville, Kansas City, and wrapping up in Birmingham, Alabama on March 27. It’s worth noting Cole will not perform on the final four dates of the tour (Belmont Park through Birmingham).

Drake and J. Cole Postpone It’s All a Blur Tour – Big as the What? Kickoff (UPDATE)

Billie Eilish Reacts to Lil Yachty’s Lyric About Her Breasts on Drake Collab: ‘It’s Fun… I Do Have Big Tits'

Tyler, the Creator Raps 'I Called Drizzy and Y’all Booed Him Last Time' at Flog Gnaw 2023

SHARE THIS STORY