Drake Coachella Large Live Performance
By all reports, Drake did the damn thing at his own personal OVO Fest in Toronto Monday night. After earlier performances by modern rap luminaries including J Cole, Travi$ Scott, PartyNextDoor and more, Drake took to the stage amidst a flurry of Meek Mill drama and mercilessly pummeled not just his newfound rival, but the entire game itself. The MC "fully turned the annual show into his own personal Summer Jam," The New York Times wrote in its extended review. "In years past, it carried a heavy dose of local pride and special guests galore; this year, it offered all of those things and a place for the host to settle scores."
Drake opened his set with both "Charged Up" and "Back to Back," relentlessly pelting Mill with a series of online-sourced memes on the arena's giant screens. And he didn't go it alone. Social media reached a boiling point Monday as Drake brought out both Kanye West, Pharrell and Future for performances, with West bringing out Scott and Big Sean as he performed for a half-hour. "Can't Tell Me Nothin," "New Slaves" and "Black Skinhead" all got their due in Toronto last night.
Pharrell's portion of the night featured a multitude of throwback cuts, along with the singer-songwriter's newer, dance-friendly hits. The Times described his appearance alongside Drake in eloquent tones:
Together, Mr. Williams, Mr. West and Drake constitute a genuine alternative history of hip-hop’s development, one that favors non-macho creative eccentrics and bypasses the typical binaries: gangster vs. conscious, mainstream vs. underground. All three are stars who have found grace in the in-between spaces.
Drake closed out the evening to raucous applause and immediately raving reviews from media outlets, but tragedy also struck Toronto Monday night. Billbaord reports that two people were killed in an onslaught of gunfire at an official OVO Fest afterparty at Toronoto's Muzik club. Toronto Police told press outlets taht “this is a sporadic shooting that did occur just before 3:30 this morning at 15 Saskatchewan. It’s the Muzik Nightclub. A well-run event with lots of police officers in and around the area, culminating on a large evening event that occurred over at the OVO Festival.” Three others were transported to the hospital following the melee.
Watch clips from the main concert below.
