Key Takeaways:
- SiR claims his 2024 Toronto concert was canceled by Drake’s team due to the Kendrick Lamar feud.
- The venue, associated with Drake through a Live Nation partnership, allegedly pulled out, and other spaces refused to host the show.
- TDE artists like ScHoolboy Q have also faced show cancellations in Toronto, raising questions about industry gatekeeping.
During a recent performance, TDE singer SiR confirmed what was heavily speculated in the past: That his Toronto show was allegedly canceled due to Drake’s feud with Kendrick Lamar. On Wednesday (June 4), the singer made a successful Canadian stop as part of his “Step Into The Light Tour,” and fan footage caught him speaking on the issue in between songs. “I kinda got caught in the middle of a beef that I didn't have s**t to do with,” he said in a viral clip being shared on social media. “I just want to say right now, I did not cancel my show last year. Drake did. No, but real talk, [there were] some complications.”
The concert was originally booked at History, a venue that Live Nation owns in partnership with the OVO frontman. “So, the venue in Toronto, which was partially owned by Drake, canceled the show completely,” SiR explained. “Then when we tried to switch venues, the next venue was like, ‘Nah, we ain’t f**king with it. I ain’t taking no motherf**king chances. You gonna get your a** beat in Toronto.’”
How a Live Nation partnership put Drake at the center of venue politics
After it opened back in 2021, History was positioned as a new cultural hub for Toronto’s music scene. While Drake has rarely commented publicly on its operations, his association with the space has made it a focal point for industry debate, especially when artists connected to his rivals find their bookings abruptly canceled. For SiR, the affiliation raised more than logistical hurdles; it symbolized how power dynamics in Hip Hop can trickle into live performance access.
“We sold that show out,” he told fans online. “It was cancelled by the venue. Not sure why.” Online trolls also tried to frame SiR’s canceled date as a sign of low ticket sales, prompting him to clap back with receipts. “Here are the numbers, lame a** n**ga,” he wrote. “It was a sold out show.”
TDE artists have seemingly faced hurdles in Toronto as a whole
SiR isn’t the only Top Dawg Entertainment artist to run into roadblocks in Toronto. ScHoolboy Q also had a show canceled there last summer and didn’t hold back on social media. “THey just canceled my sHow in Toronto. Canadian police don't want nobody from TDE performing,” he tweeted. “TOP was just wit’ Wayne and Baby smH… If we wanted to get y’all, we would’ve just did it.”
Drake has yet to respond to any of the allegations, but the issue has reignited conversations around whether artists with competing affiliations are being quietly blackballed in certain markets. With Kendrick now slated to play two nights at the Rogers Centre on June 12 and 13, the city’s response may offer some clarity on whether the cold war is cooling — or just heating up in real time.