Photo Credit: @thisiswaven on X
“Dystopian” photos from Drake’s recent concert in Sydney are going viral, showing fans with signs begging the Toronto artist for money.
Drake hasn’t been having a great year, but fans still love him — or at least they love his wallet, that is. The “Hotline Bling” singer and rapper has been known to dish out large sums of cash to fans to help them pay medical bills, debts, and other expenses. But during his Australian tour, that generosity appears to have reached new heights, with fans holding signs to request money during his shows.
At his performance at Sydney’s Qudos Bank Arena, Drake spotted a woman with a sign that said she was 20 weeks pregnant. So the 38-year-old star ordered his security to “get her out of there,” upgrading her to the VIP section — and giving her “like $30,000” to boot. Performing in Melbourne, Drake reportedly dished out $25,000 to two fans, including one holding a sign referencing his (initially secret) seven-year-old son that read “Adonis for President.”
But a recent picture of Drake standing on stage in front of a crowd of fans waving panhandling signs has gone viral online — and many are calling the sight “dystopian.” One sign asked for help to buy an engagement ring; another wanted to buy their mom a Hermes Birkin bag; yet another fan asked for help to pay off her mother’s mortgage; one asked for help in paying vet bills; another simply said, “Drake… Give my father a break.”
“This photo is actually sad as hell,” wrote one person on social media. “We gotta bring back shame,” added another. “Going to a concert and making a sign begging the artist for money is actually embarrassing,” someone else opined. “If you can afford a concert, maybe spend the money you spent on attending on the necessities some of these signs are saying?”
Drake’s penchant for such generous activity isn’t new; in 2023, he gave a fan $50,000 after they claimed they spent all their savings on tickets to see him before their partner broke up with them. Around Christmas, Drake gave away hundreds of thousands in prizes to fans online during his “Drizzmas Giveaway.”
Nevertheless, the sudden wave of handouts seems to have increased exponentially in the wake of Drake’s rival Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl Halftime Show performance. The nearly-13-minute gig is now the most-watched halftime show of all time, thanks in no small part to Lamar’s performance of “Not Like Us,” his Grammy-winning diss track against Drake, released last year.
According to Drake, the track — which calls him a “certified pedophile” — has had a negative impact on his life. So much so that he launched a lawsuit against his own record label, Universal Music Group, which also represents Lamar. The lawsuit claims UMG “knew the allegations were false” but “chose corporate greed over the safety and well-being of its artists.”
Curiously, Kendrick Lamar is not named in the suit — but Drake’s legal team reportedly threatened to further escalate the lawsuit if UMG and the NFL didn’t put the kibosh on K.Dot playing “Not Like Us” at the Super Bowl. Ultimately, the song was performed at the halftime show, but with the word “pedophile” censored.
Drake is scheduled to play three more shows in Brisbane before returning to Sydney on March 7. He’s also going to headline all three dates at this summer’s Wireless Festival, which marks his first UK performances in six years.