It’s no surprise that I am a huge fan of Toronto rapper Drake. It all started back in 2010, when I first heard his hit Find Your Love on the radio. His voice and the lyrics of that song got me hooked. Then I saw the video and that’s when my love for this artist really began.
So far, I’ve purchased three of his albums, I’ve seen him twice in concert and my playlist is full of his latest (and older) hits, including several collaborations. One event I haven’t attended yet is his OVO (October’s Very Own) festival that is held every year in Toronto. I wasn’t lucky enough to get tickets to the festival this year, but I did end up purchasing tickets to his after party for Monday August the 3rd at Muzik Nightclub in Toronto.
The OVO Festival is a concert hosted by Drake which began back in 2009 and has been a success ever since. The three day festival is known for the special guests that the rapper brings to Toronto and this year, like every other, he did not disappoint. His featured artists were none other than Future, Kanye West and Pharrell Williams.
On the night of the after party, I decided to meet up with my friend at the club around 11pm. Obviously there was a line up and security was tight. According to the venue’s website, there were 73 security guards on duty that night, where they conducted body searches, checked all of the girls purses and used metal-detecting wands.
I met up with my friend inside and we grabbed a spot, ordered a couple of drinks and enjoyed ourselves while waiting for Drake to make an appearance. At around 2:45 am, he finally came on stage, said a few words, thanked his fans and then called it a night.
As people started leaving, the DJ kept playing music and I was determined to stay so I can at least catch a glimpse of my favorite artist. About half an hour later, my friend was tired and wanted to head back. I insisted we stay but he didn’t want to, so we both left the venue at 3:15am.
The next morning, I received two text messages from two of my friends asking if I was alright. I wasn’t sure why they were asking until they told me what had happened. I immediately logged on the internet and saw the news for myself.
A shooting took place at the club at around 3:20am that left two dead and three injured. My jaw dropped as I was reading the article. I couldn’t believe it! I kept thinking, had I stayed at the club….
Neither Drake or his representatives have yet to comment about the incident and Toronto Police are asking for the Toronto native’s help. Meanwhile some of his fans have criticized the rapper for not talking about the shooting.
Personally, I think he should at least send his condolences to the victims’ families. As for the tragedy, it would be great to see him talk about putting an end to gun violence, but other than that, he had nothing to do with the shooting.
