We’d do anything for Drake

This past Friday, the Ryerson Students’ Union and Student Association of George Brown College put on the most memorable and hyped parade and concert that any Week of Welcome has ever seen.

Everyone has written about it by now that there were many local opening DJs before P Reign and Zeds Dead took the stage, and that Future brought out Drake, who also brought out the legendary city councillor Norm Kelly. That Sheldon Levy came on stage with his wife for a short thank you speech.

That Miguel cancelled last minute because of flight complications, which opened the floor for really …interesting (and sexual) dance battles for drink tickets to kill time. A straight forward, grand ol’ time.

Now, we’ve compiled a list of things that happened from the crowd’s perspective at the front of the stage and at the back. Let’s take a look at the details of what else went down at the 2015 Parade and Concert:

What is crowd control?

People were not used to the crowding. Everyone was protesting, screaming, pushing and shoving before the acts even came on stage. I mean, that’s pretty much expected when you fill up Lake Devo and Gould street with hundreds and hundreds of people.

“Get a better spot or die trying”

Fights ensued, and faces were smashed in attempts for a better view. This is not safe for work, but someone even lost their toenail in one of the many brawls. There was a guy who was smart enough to climb a street sign, though- who knows how long he stayed there for?

Same song syndrome

I understand that there are some songs that are very popular and widely known, but when you play “Trap Queen” and “Watch Me” multiple times during different DJ sets, it gets a bit annoying.

Winding up for that pitch

Was it the alcohol, or the impatient rage of students who didn’t want to wait through multiple acts to see Future? People were throwing various drinks (fact: a can of coke was chucked at someone near the back of the crowd) and someone else threw a bottle onto the stage when Drake came on.

Last but not least, lost of faith: Because of Miguel’s sudden cancellation, the crowd simmered down and many people left after the news spread. But who could blame them?

“What else could happen, when all that’s going on so far are DJs spinning the same songs? This would only be worth it if the ‘special guest’ was Drake or something,” – probably the reasoning in the back of people’s mind.

All in all, what’s important is that Future brought out the 6 God himself during his performance of “Where Ya At” and the crowd went insane.

The eruption of screams and shock rippled through the crowd when they finally registered what was going on. The energy levels soared through the roof and being inside the crowd was an absolutely incredible experience.

Drake performed a couple of songs from If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late and his Meek Mill diss track, “Back to Back.”

He then proceeded to bring out Norm Kelly, who’s been making headlines on Twitter after he defended Drake from Meek Mill’s initial diss. It’s true, the concert began with a rocky start but in the end, proved to be worth it.

Thanks to the hard work and planning from two student unions, the biggest names in hip-hop today graced the stage and put Ryerson University on the map.