Tonight Drake brings his OVO Fest (back) to the Budweiser Stage in Toronto for yet another blowout bash. OVO Fest is not only about the music, but about celebrating the city and the people in it, both of which can be credited with fueling the 6 God's ascension to rap's highest echelons.
Drake's love letter to Toronto is in its eight year, and this year goes back to a single-day event for the first time since 2013. It also represents the first time that an all-OVO lineup with no other additional headliners has been presented, but special guests have been an integral part of the OVO Fest experience since the beginning. In preparation for tonight, take a walk down memory lane at some of the best OVO Fest moments over the years.
2010: Eminem and Jay Z Perform as Special Guests
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The special guests have become an OVO Fest hallmark, and the tradition started strong way back in 2010 at the inaugural event. The announced lineup was already pretty stacked with Bun B, Francis and the Lights, Young Jeezy, Rick Ross, Fabolous and Kardinal Offishall all taking part, but Drizzy saved the best for last when Eminem appeared from backstage to spit his verse on "Forever" for a feverish crowd. That wasn't all though, as Drake asked the crowd to "give me something for the man who’s inspired me more than anybody else in my fu**ing life” before bringing out Jay Z to perform "Run This Town." Not bad for a kid from Forest Hill.
2011: Stevie Wonder. That Is All.
2013: OVO Fest Becomes a Two-Day Affair
2014: Drake Costs the Raptors $25K With His Kevin Durant Shoutout
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It's common knowledge that Drake is the "Global Brand Ambassador" for the Toronto Raptors, meaning that he is responsible for beefing up the Raptors' brand awareness around the world. It also appears to involve a lot of courtside seats at games (tough life, we know). But it's not all fun and games, as Drake discovered in 2014 when playful comments to his friend Kevin Durant about joining the team resulted in the Raptors having to pay a hefty sum in tampering fines. Peep the video above to relive Drake's $25,000 mistake.
2015: "Know Yourself"
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2015 OVO Fest will forever be remembered as the one that happened right smack dab in the middle of Drake and Meek Mill's highly publicized beef. After a warmup set from Partynextdoor, Drake took to the stage in a full body Jordan jumpsuit and ran through his diss tracks "Charged Up" and "Back to Back," setting the crowd into a frenzy and setting the tone for the night. Skepta, Kanye West and Travis Scott all showed up as surprise performers, but Drake was the star of the show this year. He invited a mob of his "woes" to join him onstage for "Know Yourself," the superhit which can be credited with blowing up "the 6" name all over the world. OVO Fest 2015 was a moment for the city, and a winning one at that.
