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Photos from Drake’s recent concert in Sydney are going viral as they showed fans with signs apparently begging the Canadian artist for money.
Drake has been known to hand out large sums to fans during shows or otherwise help them pay for medical bills, debts or other expenses.
Earlier this week, he was filmed scanning the crowd holding their signs aloft at the Qudos Bank Arena when he spotted one woman with a sign that said she was 20 weeks pregnant.
In the clip, the “Hotline Bling” star, 38, reacted with disbelief as he ordered his security to “get her out of there” and upgrade the fan to the VIP section and give her “like $30,000”.
While performing in Melbourne, he reportedly handed out $25,000 to two fans, including one who referenced his seven-year-old son with a sign that said: “Adonis for President.”
However, a picture of Drake standing on stage in front of hundreds of fans waving their signs has gone viral, with one person branding the scene “dystopian”.
Among the placards were ones asking for help to buy an engagement ring, one who wanted to buy their mother a Hermes Birkin bag, another hoping to pay off her mum’s mortgage, one asking for help paying vet bills, and one that simply said: “Drake… Give my father a break.”
“We gotta bring back shame,” one disproving person wrote on X/Twitter.
“This photo is actually sad as hell,” another critic said.
Another wrote: “If you can afford a concert, maybe spend the money you spent on attending on the necessities some of these signs are saying?
“But also, ban signs.”
“Going to a concert and making a sign begging the artist for money is actually embarrassing,” another X user agreed.
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Critics on social media seemed divided over whether fans should simply show their appreciation for Drake during his shows, rather than ask him for money, or whether Drake himself had encouraged such behaviour.
In 2023, Drake gave one fan $50,000 after he claimed he’d spent all his savings on tickets for him and his girlfriend before they broke up.
Drake has been engaging in a flurry of generous activity in the wake of his rival Kendrick Lamar’s performance at the Super Bowl halftime show.
The Compton-born rapper’s 12-minute gig is now the most-watched halftime show of all time, beating previous records set by artists including Beyoncé, Bruno Mars, Madonna and the Black Eyed Peas.
Lamar’s performance went viral in part thanks to his rendition of “Not Like Us”, his Grammy-winning diss track against Drake released last year.
Drake raised eyebrows last month when he filed a lawsuit against his own record label, Universal Music Group – which also represents Lamar – for defamation over lyrics in “Not Like Us” that accuse him of being a paedophile.
The hip-hop artist, born Aubrey Drake Graham, claims in the lawsuit that Universal knew the allegations were false but “chose corporate greed over the safety and well-being of its artists.” Lamar is not named in the suit.
It continues: “In controversy, UMG saw an opportunity, seized it, and continued to fan the flames.”
Drake is scheduled to play three further shows in Brisbane, before returning for his final Sydney show at the Qudos Bank Arena on 7 March.
Last weekend, it was announced that Drake would headline all three dates at this summer’s Wireless festival, which will mark his first UK performances in six years.
