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Drake pauses New York concert after man falls from balcony

‘Just gotta make sure somebody’s OK,’ Drake said

Peony Hirwani
Tuesday 24 January 2023 02:13 EST
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Kanye West and Drake reunite in Toronto

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Drake paused his Apollo Theatre show after a fan fell from the balcony into the audience below.

On Sunday (22 January), the “Toosie Slide” rapper was forced to pause his show when he was informed that a man fell from the mezzanine balcony during the performance.

The event marked Drake’s second SiriusXM concert at the venue in New York City.

“Just gotta make sure somebody’s OK,” Drake told the audience before he and rapper 21 Savage left the stage.

The break lasted around 15 minutes as the injured man was provided treatment.

“Unfortunately, last evening an incident occurred with an audience member who landed in the orchestra from the lower mezzanine,” Apollo Theatre said in a statement to Pitchfork.

“Drake, Apollo, and SiriusXM halted the show immediately when learning of a potential fan injury and standard protocols were taken. They were seen immediately by EMS on site.

“The fan and other audience members reported that they were OK. No major injuries have been reported. The Apollo is investigating the situation further.”

During his first SiriusXM concert, Drake teased a new album and tour this year.

(Getty Images for SiriusXM)

The Certified Lover Boy rapper also performed tracks from all seven of his solo albums.

The venue kept transforming throughout the evening with various set changes, from Drake’s childhood bedroom to a record label boardroom, to a Harlem deli market.

Drake and 21 Savage released their new album Her Loss in November 2022. Before that, Drake surprise-released his solo album Honestly, Nevermind in June 2022.

The Canadian rapper’s seventh studio album followed 2021’s Certified Lover Boy, which was nominated for Best Rap Album at the 2022 Grammy Awards.

Read The Independent’s review of Certified Lover Boy here.

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