Review: Drake @ Vector Arena

Drake shows his melting pot of fans why he's a real rap hero.

 

The cheering for Drake at his Auckland show last night was so powerful it prompted him to say at the concert and then later post on Instagram:  “Auckland was one of the most insane crowds I have ever performed for. Start to finish the room was shaking and vibrating with love and energy.”

And that was on a Monday.

Standing in the middle, at the back of general admission, the show was everything I’d hoped for, and then some. Featuring real instruments and musicians, 2 Chainz on stage for ‘All Me’; what I didn’t expect was the second stage in the middle, allowing fans at the back to really see him. He popped out quickly mid-show, but he did it nonetheless. There was also fireworks and lasers, gig sirens and an HD-live screen which cemented the feeling that Drake’s concert was worth every penny spent.

I looked around to see a clean and very diverse looking crowd. Everyone was behaving and there was only good energy around me. I thought, Drake’s done it, he’s amassed a melting pot of fans from many different backgrounds, all standing peacefully in the same crowd, keen to party and “get turnt” with their homies — disinterested in causing trouble. 

Instead, there seemed to be a larger desire for mates to throw their arms around each other and sing the lyrics to Crew Love off the 'Take Care' album like: "The realest niggas say "your lyrics do shit for me, I told my story, it made his-tory".

This line is just one of the endless reasons why Drake is such a rap hero. Admittedly, his ability to make girls throw their bras at his feet is another.  

His use of the local word "skux" was also impressive and I hope if someone in Aotearoa did have a chance to interview him, they asked him how he came across it.

Drake’s set had layers to it. From beginning to end I did not notice two hours pass. He took fans back to his Grammy nominated, So Far Gone mixtape from 2009 and spanned through to now, making sure to include tracks like ‘Truffle Butter’ off Nicki Minaj's The Pink Print. 

A major highlight for me was his drummer who flexed his talent during a solo where he took the set to a climax and then eased into the beat for ‘Take Care’ featuring Rihanna; much to the pleasure of the crowd.

Drake was served up vibration and happiness, which one could bet the superstar won't be forget anytime soon.