Drake’s second sold-out performance at the historic Apollo Theater got dangerous when a fan fell from the venue’s mezzanine balcony. The rapper stopped midway through his second and final show when the fan took a tumble.
The New York Post said the rapper was less than two hours into his set when he brought fellow rapper 21 Savage onstage. The two were set to perform hits from their collaborative album, Her Loss, but commotion suddenly began in the balcony area.
The outlet reported the fan dropped from the second floor into the middle of the orchestra pit, damaging a light fixture during the fall.
The rappers paused the show after their crew members informed them of what had happened in the crowd.
Drake addressed the crowd, letting them know why things abruptly stopped, saying, “Just have to make sure somebody’s OK.”
The crew and security guards ran into the crowd to locate the man and check if anyone was injured. Fortunately, they found the fan and reported that he and everyone else was OK.
Drake had to stop the concert after someone jumped from the balcony at the Apollo Theater New York pic.twitter.com/Hn9lZAuauP
— ITSBIZKIT (@itsbizkit) January 23, 2023
One crew member reported to the fans that everything and everyone was OK.
“Everybody is absolutely OK,” he said, according to the Post.
“They are being checked on. Nobody’s hurt. But I got even better news for you: We’re at the Apollo, so the show must go on.”
Drake & 21 Savage stopped their performance after someone reportedly fell from the balcony during his show at the Apollo pic.twitter.com/rizX2YYwwM https://t.co/p4pqZIt7Gm
— Tony M. Centeno (@_tonyMC) January 23, 2023
Fans began to chant “MVP” in response to Drakes’s quick action and care for fans, HipHopDX reported.
He and 21 Savage returned to the stage after 15 minutes and finished the concert.
The concert had more surprises, including appearances from Lil Uzi Vert and Dipset.
Drake brought Uzi out to perform “Just Wanna Rock” at the Apollo 🪩 pic.twitter.com/mnHFmXo39b
— Complex Music (@ComplexMusic) January 23, 2023
.@Drake just brought out #Dipset during his show at the Apollo 🔥🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/LcJ9exAung
— Tony M. Centeno (@_tonyMC) January 22, 2023
As the crowd acknowledged Drake for his crowd control and excellent performance, the Toronto native gave the love right back.
Drake closed the show with “Legend” and addressed the crowd.
“This crowd is an absolute 10 out of 10. I’m so happy with tonight,” Drake said, as reported by BuzzFeed. “We apologize for the delays and all that s**t, but thank you.”
He called the show an “evening of gratitude,” the Post reported.
“I used to come up here and my heart used to beat out of my chest,” he said. “I used to be side of stage, hoping some bad s**t would happen, like a f**king fire alarm would go off.”
He continued, “I used to dread performing ’cause I just never really understood how it was just, like, me on one side and all of you on the other side.”
He went on, “But it’s nights like these that let me know I have the greatest job in the world, and I feel like you, again, give me the confidence to know after all these years. … After all the noes that we’ve heard, after all the doors that slammed in our face, it’s this exact group right here that lets me know that I’m exactly where I need to f**king be.”
#Drake performing "God's Plan" at the Apollo Theater 👀 pic.twitter.com/9ViKZwo2cW
— Respectful Rap (@RapRespectful) January 22, 2023