Kanye West And Drake Team Up For Amazon Music Livestream Event

Courtesy of Amazon Music – Stream Team
Kanye West and Drake’s Dec. 9 concert will be broadcast by Amazon Music on Prime Video and Twitch.

After formally squashing their years-long beef in November, Drake and Ye (the artist formerly known as Kanye West) are combining their forces for the “Free Larry Hoover Benefit Concert,” which is being presented by Amazon Music on Prime Video and Twitch Dec. 9. The event will mark West’s first headlining show in five years, with Drake appearing as a special guest.

“Kanye and Drake have spent their careers pushing boundaries and defining culture, and we’re excited to give fans around the world a front row seat to this concert,” Tim Hinshaw, head of hip-hop and R&B at Amazon Music, said in a statement. “We have made Amazon Music and Prime Video destinations where artists can make their most ambitious ideas a reality – this concert is just the latest example.”

The show will take place at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on Dec. 9 at 8 p.m. PT, with West dedicating the show to raising awareness for the need of prison and sentencing reform. Select IMAX theaters across the United States will also be livestreaming the event.

“We’re extremely proud to be working with Kanye and Drake on this historic concert in support of a cause they are both so passionate about, and to collaborate across Amazon for this epic entertainment event,” head of Amazon Studios, Jennifer Salke, said in a statement.

“It’s rare to be able to bring two of the biggest cultural icons together on one stage for our customers across the globe,” Alaina Bartels, talent synergy and specials at Amazon Studios, said in a statement. “As the home for talent, whether it’s a developing artist or a household name, we’re constantly focused on building opportunities for them to reach fans in exciting new ways. We can’t wait for our audiences to watch this special event.” 

After pushing back the release date of his 10th studio album, Donda, several times, West released the LP in full on August 29. Ahead of the record’s release, West hosted two album release parties at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. Just a few days after Donda landed, Drake released his sixth studio album, Certified Lover Boy. Both albums debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart.

West’s last headlining shows – outside of his recurring 2019 concerts leading the Sunday Service Choir – took place during 2016’s “The Saint Pablo Tour.” His six shows at the Forum in Inglewood, Calif. from Oct. 25 to Nov. 3 grossed a total of more than $8.2 million, while his show at Las Vegas’ T-Mobile Arena grossed more than $1.8 million, according to reports submitted to Pollstar‘s Boxoffice.

Drake’s last headlining outing was the “Assassination Vacation Tour” in 2019, with three UK shows at Birmingham’s Resorts World Arena, March 26-28, grossing $3.5 million. In 2018, Drake embarked on a co-headlining tour with Migos, and their three November shows at Atlanta’s State Farm Arena grossed nearly $5.9 million.

Amazon, meanwhile, continues to expand its music livestreaming offering. In October, it broadcast Coldplay’s concert opening Seattle’s Climate Pledge Arena globally, and Amazon subsidiary Twitch has partnered with industry players from The Bowery Presents to Wasserman Music to provide fans with music content. In January, Trey Anastasio appeared on Pollstar‘s cover following “The Beacon Jams,” a late 2020 livestreamed residency that was hosted by Twitch.