September 25, internationally-loved Canadian singer and rapper Aubrey “Drake” Graham brought his iconic tunes, graphic yet nostalgic props and words of sagacity to State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia. Drake fans sang their hearts away after anticipating his “It’s All a Blur” tour since his first concert July 5 in Chicago. Since the release of his 2010 “Thank Me Later,” album, Drake has achieved several accomplishments such as receiving the Artist of the Decade Award at the 2021 Billboard Music Awards, and becoming the first artist to exceed 50 billion streams on Spotify. With six shows remaining to perform, Drake continues to spread gratitude and music to his fans with his tour.
“I’ve loved Drake since I was able to understand harmony and lyrics. I’d say I was 5-7 when my dad first introduced me to him. I love that Drake’s music is versatile no matter what mood I’m in. I can pick a song that fits {my mood], and vibe out and enjoy myself. I’ve been waiting to see Drake since I learned he did OVO [October’s Very Own]Fest in Canada, so a couple of years now and I’ve always thought I’d have to wait until I had a job and could afford them myself,” senior Micah Culbreath said.
State Farm Arena, the home venue for the Atlanta Hawks, hosted Drake’s live performance. Fans parked at the CNN deck or the Red Deck—both adjacent to the State Farm Arena. Doors opened at 7 p.m., where fans redeemed their tickets and went through metal detectors. While waiting for the renowned artist to perform, fans bought food items from restaurants such as Hawk Walk Market and Scofflaw Beer Barn.
As fans settled in their respective seats, Central Cee, a British rapper, opened the concert with songs such as “Doja”, “LET GO” and “Commitment Issues”. His songs prepared the crowd for the bangers he would unleash on them with his foreign-style rap music.Drake and Central Cee both freestyled on their song “On the Radar”. As the crowd charged up from the rapper’s upbeat music, Zack Bia, a producer, DJ and record executive, played a variety of songs such as “Ms. Jackson” by Outkast and “Break from Toronto” by PARTYNEXTDOOR. Guests including Kai Cenat, an online streamer and YouTuber, and Roy Woods, a Canadian singer and rapper who sang “Drama” alongside Drake, stood near DJ Bia to party with the crowd and create a buoyant atmosphere.
Thirty minutes after Bia’s set came to an end, Brooklyn Cox, a teen who portrays a younger version of Drake, rises from beneath the stage on a couch while Drake’s song “Look What You’ve Done” fills the arena. As security makes way for the crowd, Drake walks through the audience as he shakes his fans’ hands. He then sits next to Cox and continues to sing “Look What You’ve Done,” as he looks at a composition notebook.
After starting the concert off with this all-time favorite, Drake then appreciates Atlanta and tells his 20,000 fans that he created a set list specifically for the city. He mentions how Atlanta stands as a crucial part of his career because he produced his first works with New Orleans rapper Lil Wayne in Atlanta. For the next 15 minutes, Drake sang songs such as “Marvin’s Room”, “Shot For Me”, “Jaded., and “Can I” featuring Beyonce.
Drake then steps off stage and Cox arises again, this time in a bed. The screen played several intros from shows such as “Family Matters,” “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” and the show that Drake used to star in— “Degrassi.” A Peter Pan figure then flies by while Disney-themed music amplifies throughout the arena. The old TV shows and the Disney aspects aid in a nostalgic feeling for the concert.
After the swift intermission, Drake returns to perform hype songs compared to his set in the beginning. He performs songs such as “Over,” “HYFR” “Energy” and “Nonstop”.Before the beat drops in the song “Nonstop,” he commemorates Takeoff, an Atlanta rapper who passed away due to gun violence. To mirror Drake’s lively songs, fireworks explode as the songs’ beats drop, accompanied by several explicit props that match the theme of each song. In an attempt to entertain his crowd, Drake captures the faces of his fans while using the AR Snapchat crying filter.
Drake then steps off the stage and joins BYNX, Central Cee, and Kai Cenat to create a club atmosphere while he performs songs such as “Find Your Love” and “Hold On, We’re Going Home.” Before he performs again on the stage, Drake gifts the concertgoers with fruitful advice in a sermon-like style. Moments later, he announced October 6 as the release date for his longly-anticipated album “For All the Dogs.” He tells them to appreciate what they have obtained in life and to only allow certain people in their lives.
Shortly after leaving the DJ stand, Atlanta rapper 21 Savage enters the stage as his song “Red Opps” plays in the background. To carry on 21 Savage’s petrifying persona, the figure from the renowned horror movie “Scream” floated around the concert with a knife in its hand moving in a back-and-forth motion as he performed songs such as “X,” “No Heart” and “Who Wants Smoke”.
After 21 Savage performed his solo act, Drake joined him to perform their song “Rich Flex” from their duo album “Her Loss.” The two then carry on the concert with songs such as “Spin Bout You” and “Jimmy Cooks.” At the end of the concert, Drake tells concertgoers that he and 21 Savage personally selected songs they believed would hype up the crowd for closing. Drake sang “One Dance” and 21 Savage performed “3 AM on Glenwood.”
Drake ends the concert by thanking Atlanta for taking their time out of the day to see the show. Drake will hold nine other concerts before the tour comes to an end. His tour will end at New Orleans with the date still undetermined.
“I enjoyed every bit of that concert because he put on a show. His sets were amazing, and the stage was centered, but the view was enjoyable for everyone in nosebleeds. He interacted with everyone, not just the floor audience, and 21 [Savage] made ATL go insane. He put on a great show and gave us great energy! I also enjoyed that he gave Atlanta a surprise song that he wasn’t going to give to any other city! My favorite part was when he played Pipe Down, it’s my favorite Drake song ever. I would improve Drake’s thoughts on opening acts. He brought Central Cee and I enjoy him, but I feel like someone from Atlanta like Latto or Future should’ve been brought out instead,” Culbreath said.
