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Rb Hip Hop

Drake Freestyles at Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s Birthday Party: 'Here’s to the One'

The rapper delivered an impromptu freestyle honouring the Canadian NBA star on his 28th birthday last night (July 12), which was celebrated with a private party in Toronto.

Drake & Shai-Gilgeous Alexander

Drake & Shai-Gilgeous Alexander

Drake / Instagram

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander turned 28, and the 6 God was present for the cake and candles.

On July 13, Drake attended the Hamilton-born NBA star’s birthday celebration in Toronto, where he delivered an impromptu freestyle and brought cheeriness to the room with a simple, enthusiastic verse.


“To everybody here, to many more nights, to the ones that loved and to the ones that hated, and to the ones that are here to celebrate the greatest,” the rapper began, as attendees repeated “two,” referencing the Oklahoma City Thunder player’s jersey number. "Too many nights, we’ve had too much fun. Two on the jersey and here’s to the one."

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Drake then added to his verse, continuing with the 'number two' rhyme scheme. "To all the family, and to everybody that’s helped you elevate it, shoutout to everyone in the building, to everybody that’s here to celebrate it. Let’s get fried, run the chunes, too many more dances, should’ve been two trips but don’t worry, we have too many more chances," he said.

Most recently, The Boy and the two-time reigning NBA MVP were spotted together in their home country as they attended the Portugal-Croatia World Cup game in the round of 32, the final match hosted in Toronto. Their camaraderie goes back, as the star player appeared in the black-and-white music video for Drake's hit single "Nokia" last year, which reached No. 5 on the Billboard Canadian Hot 100 and No. 2 in the U.S., and Drake has him tattooed on his arm

Drake also gave a nod to some of the attendees in the room, including Gilgeous-Alexander's manager, Simon Gebrelul. Alongside with GIVĒON, the pair graced the cover of Billboard and Billboard Canada in February, and Gebrelul was also honoured on the inaugural Billboard Canada 40 Under 40 list last November as one of the influential Canadian executives shaping the next generation of the music business.

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Gilgeous-Alexander also notably became a co-owner of the newly-renovated TD Coliseum in his hometown of Hamilton in 2025, which has hosted massive events like the 2026 Juno Awards, plus headline concerts by Paul McCartney, Cardi B and more.

Watch Drake's full freestyle below.

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Phoebe Bridgers to Preview New Album at Vancouver Planetarium Ahead of ‘Lost Weekend’ Release

The events will begin four days prior to the LP's arrival.

Phoebe Bridgers is taking her new album to the stars, with the singer announcing Thursday (Aug. 6) that she’ll be debuting Lost Weekend with a planetarium experience available for fans all over the world.

Ahead of the LP’s release on Aug. 14, a slew of planetariums across the United States, Canada, Europe, Australia and New Zealand will offer special listenings starting Aug. 10 in partnership with Spotify. At each location, the music will be paired with one of two different visual experiences — either a dome show designed by photographer Babak Tafreshi or an immersive laser spectacle from Laser Fantasy.

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