Scottsdale, Arizona —Drake could have provided Super Bowl week concertgoers with a few songs, but the rapper delivered a healthy dose of hits instead.
The multi-Grammy winner flocked to see his “h.wood Homecoming” performance at Hangar One in Scottsdale on Friday night. While some concert-goers packed the stage, others like Alex Rodriguez and Jaleel White cooled off in the VIP area, while stars like Michael Strahan watched Drake’s 45-minute performance on the second floor of the luxury private jet complex.
Attendees mingle at the invitation-only event for hours before Drake showed up. As soon as he arrived, many people flocked to the stage, pulling out their phones to capture his scenes.
“Tonight, they want me to do three songs in 20 minutes, right? I’m either going to do 20 minutes or I’m going to do all the old stuff,” he told the audience, who urged him to play his old songs. “Okay, you asked for it.”
Drake went on to perform several improvisations, including “Best I Ever Had,” “Headlines,” “Controlla,” and “HYGR.” He asked the crowd to recite the lyrics of 21 Savage’s “Rich Flex,” from the tandems collaboration album “Her Loss.”
The rap star kept asking attendees, “Do you want more?” Most of the crowd urged him to do so.
“If you act shy or rich (expletive), or own a certain tech company or a certain football team, we don’t give (expletive) now,” he said. “If you know the song, we just need you to show up. I need your help.”
As the confetti fell, Drake performed “Knife Talk” with 21 Savage and Project Pat.
Finally, Drake paid tribute to Lil Wayne before performing “I Will Always Love You,” Dolly Parton’s song for Whitney Houston. He sings every word with many in the crowd.
The “Homecoming” concert performance was part of a night of other concerts in the Phoenix area ahead of Sunday’s matchup between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles.
Shaquille O’Neal hosted his carnival-style “Shaq’s Funhouse,” Snoop Dogg headlined the concert, and Travis Scott and Robin Thicke performed at the “Rolling Stone Live” Super Bowl party. Meek Mill took to the stage early Friday to perform several songs, including his hugely popular “Dreams and Nightmare.”
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