NEWS
An OVO takeover was anticipated at Kendrick Lamar's Grand National Tour stop in Toronto to support the hometown hero, Drake.
However, the planned gathering was quickly dispersed by Toronto police as concert goers arrived at Rogers Centre. The OVO takeover was meant to be a peaceful gathering in support of the Drizzy. Fans participating in the takeover informed social media that they were forced to leave after authorities received concerning calls.
In a statement shared on social media, the organizers of the OVO takeover wrote the following:
"Unfortunately, we have to cancel the OVO Takeover. We genuinely just wanted to bring people together, have some fun, and create good vibes for the city. But unfortunately, some people decided to report us, falsely claiming we were planning to "start trouble" or cause chaos. Because of those reports, police were already on high alert and were quick to shut down anything that even looked like a crowd forming - including us."
The statement would share that the gathering wasn't expected to draw large numbers. It originally began as a joke that quickly transformed into a movement. It would even draw local media attention.
"We didn't expect things to blow up the way they did," the organizer wrote. "What started as a joke turned into a full-on movement, and y'all made that happen. Shoutout to the media outlets that pulled up - CTV, CityNews, CP24, Virgin Radio, MuchMusic - and most importantly, shoutout to every single one of you who showed love and made this real."
Thankful of the united support of Drake fans across Toronto, the organizer's statement would request fans that attended the gathering to message them on social media and organize another outing.
The statement continued: "To make sure your time wasn't wasted, if you pulled up at all, DM us any videos or photos you took - we'll be mailing out hoodies to everyone who came through. Just give us a few days to process everything. We'll also be running a few giveaways over the next couple days to get the rest of the hoodies out. We're honestly disappointed it had to end like this — it was all meant for the culture, for the city, and for the fun of it. But the fact that so many of you cared enough to show up means the world. Thank you for turning something spontaneous into something unforgettable. We'll be back."
Kendrick Lamar's Grand National Tour in Toronto has helped the city become one of the top five stops on the tour based on tickets sales, according to StubHub. The OVO takeover's disperse follows the postponement of Drake and Kai Cenat's livestream set for Thursday evening (June 12) at 8 PM EST.
NEWS
Oliver Tree’s team has provided a new update following the singer’s death in a helicopter crash on June 14, confirming that a new artist grant will soon be established in his memory to help creatives secure funding, a plan he had detailed in his will before his passing.
Accompanying a collection of photos highlighting Tree’s performances, travels and creative work through the years, a post shared Sunday (June 21) on his Instagram account revealed that the musician’s remains have been brought back to California, the state he called home and where he will be laid to rest. “His legacy will live on through his foundation/endowment named ‘Dr. Oliver Tree’s Extremely Epic Grant For Baby Geniuses’ coming soon,” the caption reads. “This is something that Oliver had put together before his passing.”
“We will make sure his wish comes to fruition so that more joy, love and art can be spread into the world, that was his final wish,” the statement continued, adding that “the constant love, support and positivity” shown by fans throughout the past week has helped his “family, friends and collaborators make it through these extremely difficult times.”
Tree was among six people who lost their lives in a helicopter collision in Rio de Janeiro. The musician was in Brazil for his The World’s First Tour run and had performed what would ultimately be his final concert on June 6 in São Paulo. The other victims of the crash were identified as passengers Lucas Vignale, Gaspar Prim and Lucas Brito Chaves, along with pilots Alexandre Souza and Charles Marsillac.
Just months before his death, Tree discussed his plans to direct his fortune and future earnings from his music toward a grant program for artists during an appearance on the Zach Sang Show. “I take no credit for anything I’ve ever done,” he said during the April interview. “Furthermore, I don’t believe that any of the wealth or things that get made from it is mine. So when I die … my will is set up so that when I pass, my family, nobody is going to get a penny.”
“If I have a wife or kids or anything, they’re not getting a penny,” he added at the time, explaining that the initiative would focus on helping artists create work rather than funding education. “I’ll get my kids through college, that’s the agreement, but there’s not gonna be a silver spoon. All the money is going to go back to artists.”
