The New York Police Department filmed the audience leaving Drake‘s concert in the city last week.
The rapper played a number of shows at the Apollo in Harlem for SiriusXM last week, teasing a new album and tour and bringing out guests Dipset and 21 Savage.
As revealed on Twitter by The New York Times music critic Jon Caramanica, attendees were filmed by police officers on their way out of the gig, with no reason initially given.
In a statement shared with Consequence, the NYPD then said the reason for the filming was to “highlight local community events”.
They said: “The officer depicted in the video is a Community Affairs officer involved with the 28th Precinct’s social media team.
“The officer was taking video for an upcoming Twitter post that will highlight local community events. The video will not be utilised for any other reason.”
here’s the video pic.twitter.com/xeCB96veU0
— Jon Caramanica (@joncaramanica) January 22, 2023
Elsewhere at the Apollo shows, Drake was forced to pause the Sunday night (January 22) show after a fan fell from the mezzanine balcony into the audience below.
Midway through the concert, 21 Savage joined Drake to perform tracks from their collaborative album ‘Her Loss’. But before they began, the rapper paused the show as a man fell from the second-floor balcony.
“Just gotta make sure somebody’s OK,” Drake told the audience before him and 21 Savage left the stage and the lights were turned on in the venue. The break lasted around 15 minutes as venue staff could be seen treating the man.
In a statement shared with Pitchfork, a representative for the Apollo Theater said: “Unfortunately, last evening an incident occurred with an audience member who landed in the orchestra from the lower mezzanine. Drake, Apollo, and SiriusXM halted the show immediately when learning of a potential fan injury and standard protocols were taken. They were seen immediately by EMS on site.
“The fan and other audience members reported that they were OK. No major injuries have been reported. The Apollo is investigating the situation further.”
Reviewing that show, NME wrote: “As he finishes one of his most iconic shows to date, he parts with, “If you ever say, ‘That’s probably too far-fetched of a goal’ just go watch my old haircut on Degrassi. If you can have that haircut and you can make it to the fucking Apollo stage you can do anything in the world. Have a good night.””
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