Fake Drake Gig Canceled

A Lubbock, Texas, promoter who thought he’d secured a concert with hip-hop artist Drake playing “host” to four other lesser-known hip-hop acts found out he’d been duped and canceled the event April 28 before tickets went on sale.

The Lubbock Avalanche-Journal said local promoter Richard Amadin’s plans for the concert, scheduled May 3 at Lone Star Events Center’s amphitheater, were scuttled when a crucial detail was discovered: No one in Drake’s camp had confirmed he’d be there.

Ticket prices for the event which was to include Dorrough, Trai’D, Kirko Bangz, Beat King, and Kain the Everman ranged from $50 to $100 and were to go on sale about a week before the concert.

Amadin told the paper he’d been working with “Drake’s right-hand man” to land the event but didn’t identify the person by name. Fliers distributed for the event saying “Drake Live In Lubbock” reportedly started the confusion.

“We made a flier for this show that used the word ‘live.’ And we of course meant ‘live,’ as in live in person, not ‘live, as in performing a concert.’” Amadin told the Avalanche-Journal. “This flier was forwarded several times by our competition to Drake’s concert management, saying that we were misleading people in Lubbock. As you can guess, that sort of thing is not taken lightly.”

Advertising was reportedly corrected to say Drake was “hosting,” Amadin said, but the problems continued to mount.

Robert’s Records owner Robert DeWitt was to handle ticket sales. Dewitt told the paper he’d previously worked with Amadin with no problems but that something about the Drake show didn’t “feel right.” He informed Amadin April 27 he wouldn’t handle ticket sales after all.

The Avalanche-Journal later reported that Drake’s agent, ICM’s Robert Gibbs, had called DeWitt to tell him Drake would not appear.

Amadin’s response to that news was to tell the paper that Gibbs handles Drake’s concerts, not his hosting appearances.

Amadin finally canceled the show after he did not receive “proof” in the form of a video, a recorded statement or a Facebook post of Drake’s intent to appear, the paper said.

But despite the series of events, Amadin hasn’t ruled out trying to bring Drake to Lubbock in the future.

“On the record, we’ll try to bring Drake back when this town is ready to handle an act of this magnitude,” he told the paper. “A few bad eggs ruined something really good for a lot of people. My feeling is the town got robbed.”