Drake joins Vybz Kartel for historic Canadian show

When Drake was a teenager, he'd stand outside Toronto's long-gone Escape Nightclub handing out flyers just to get inside and lose himself in Vybz Kartel's music. On Sunday night, he came full circle, recalling that memory on stage as he welcomed the dancehall star for his first-ever Canadian concert at Scotiabank Arena.

TORONTO – When Drake was a teenager, he’d stand outside Toronto’s long-gone Escape Nightclub handing out flyers just to get inside and lose himself in Vybz Kartel’s music. On Sunday night, he came full circle, recalling that memory on stage as he welcomed the dancehall star for his first-ever Canadian concert at Scotiabank Arena.

Kartel, dressed head to toe in Blue Jays gear, kicked off night one of three sold-out Toronto shows at the venue, becoming the first Jamaican artist to achieve the milestone.

“Look at all these people right here, how much time we’ve spent with this man’s music right here,” Drake told a frenzied crowd.

Moments earlier, the Toronto rapper made a surprise appearance, performing a string of hits — including 2016’s “Controlla” and this year’s “Nokia” — from a balcony in the arena’s lower level.

The Toronto shows, presented by Drake’s company OVO, have been long-awaited by Canadian fans. Born Adidja Palmer, Vybz Kartel is one of dancehall’s most influential — and controversial — figures. He rose to prominence in the early 2000s with hits blending dancehall and hip-hop, and continued releasing music even after his 2014 murder conviction and life sentence. Several albums, including 2016’s Billboard-charting “King of the Dancehall,” were recorded covertly from prison.

Kartel’s conviction was overturned in March 2024 due to juror misconduct, and he was released last year. Since then, the 49-year-old has earned a Grammy nomination, embarked on a world tour and released a steady stream of new music.

Drake has long credited Kartel as one of his biggest influences, referencing him in interviews and on social media. Drake invited Kartel to join him on stage at London’s Wireless Festival over the summer, and their collaboration continued on Canadian soil Sunday.

The crowd thundered when Kartel took the stage to his remix of Akon’s 2004 hit “Locked Up,” wielding a baseball bat and wearing a powder-blue Blue Jays jersey with “Worl’ Boss” — one of his nicknames — stitched on the back.