{"id":47202,"date":"2026-05-15T21:00:22","date_gmt":"2026-05-15T21:00:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/47202\/"},"modified":"2026-05-15T21:00:22","modified_gmt":"2026-05-15T21:00:22","slug":"heres-how-toronto-celebrated-drakes-iceman-release","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/47202\/","title":{"rendered":"Here\u2019s How Toronto Celebrated Drake\u2019s \u2018Iceman\u2019 Release"},"content":{"rendered":"

After nearly a year of teasing, Drake\u2019s latest album, Iceman, is finally here.<\/p>\n

More from Billboard<\/p>\n

A known champion of his hometown, the rapper has spent much of his decades-spanning career boosting his city, Toronto. The rollout for Iceman was no different.<\/p>\n

Last night, Drizzy took over the CN Tower, projecting parts of his fourth livestream on the symbol of the city, turning it Iceman blue. From a triple-album drop to a shout-out to Mayor Olivia Chow to a spotlight on Canadian brands, Toronto is Drake\u2019s playground, and we\u2019re just living in it.<\/p>\n

Here are the hometown highlights from Drake\u2019s Iceman rollout.<\/p>\n

The CN Tower Goes \u2018Icy\u2019 Blue<\/p>\n

A day before Iceman dropped, there were whisperings that Drake was gearing up for some kind of stunt at the CN Tower. The rumors were true.<\/p>\n

Last night (May 14), the city monument went icy blue<\/a> to promote Iceman, while a segment of his fourth livestream was projected onto the building. During the clip, the rapper performed atop the CN Tower, as eager fans gathered in real time to witness the attraction.<\/p>\n

To much surprise, towards the end of the stream, a caption appeared announcing that two additional albums, Habibti and Maid of Honour, would be dropping at midnight along with Iceman.<\/p>\n

A Massive Downtown Fireworks Display<\/p>\n

Concluding the livestream, Drake erupted a massive fireworks display<\/a> over the water at Harbourfront Centre that lasted over 10 minutes.<\/p>\n

This weekend is a long weekend in Canada for the celebration of Victoria Day on Monday (May 18), but the fireworks came early<\/a>. Fans who looked south towards Lake Ontario could see the show paired against the Iceman blue CN Tower.<\/p>\n

Drake\u2019s Private Release Party at Casa Loma<\/p>\n

While many fans flocked to the CN Tower, Drake and his team hosted a private release party<\/a> at the historic castle-like residence and event venue Casa Loma, in collaboration with Yorkville restaurant Powder Room.<\/p>\n

He was spotted celebrating<\/a> with rapper Sexxy Red, who guests on multiple songs on the new album.<\/p>\n

Toronto\u2019s Mayor Olivia Chow Is a \u2018Crodi\u2019<\/p>\n

During the fourth Iceman livestream<\/a>, one clip showed Drake roaming around inside an empty Toronto City Hall. He even sat at Mayor Olivia Chow\u2019s desk while wearing her chain of office \u2014 a ceremonial symbol of authority and duty. To show his gratitude, he left a brief handwritten note for Chow on her desk.<\/p>\n

\u201cThank you my crodi. Olivia Chow!\u201d it reads, referring to the mayor with the Toronto slang term for a close friend or brother. (Kendrick Lamar notably used it against him in his diss track \u201cEuphoria.\u201d<\/a>) The 6 God ended the note with \u201cIceman 2026,\u201d signing his government name \u2014 Aubrey Graham \u2014 and \u201c6\u2019er.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mayor Chow shared the note<\/a> to Instagram with the caption: \u201cYou\u2019re welcome Iceman \ud83e\uddca,\u201d noting that Drake \u201cis a big booster of our city. Happy to host his team at City Hall.\u201d<\/p>\n

It\u2019s not the first time Mayor Chow has championed local talent. Last August, she presented Scarborough native The Weeknd the key to Toronto, while she declared the first of the R&B singer\u2019s two weekend performances at Rogers Centre, The Weeknd Weekend.<\/p>\n

Drake Visits The Brass Rail<\/p>\n

It\u2019s no secret that the Toronto-born superstar is Canada down<\/a>. Beyond performing atop the CN Tower in his livestream, he opened the stream with shots of an Iceman-branded truck driving on the Don Valley Parkway en route to the CN Tower as the album\u2019s opening track, \u201cMake Them Cry,\u201d played. Drake reflects on the past couple of years of his life and shared that his father, Dennis Graham, was diagnosed with cancer<\/a>.<\/p>\n

At one point, infamous Yonge Street strip club Brass Rail Tavern was front and center as Drizzy raps inside the space during Iceman\u2019s \u201cLittle Birdie<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n

Toronto has served as a major source of inspiration for Drake since the beginning of his career. Throughout the promotion for Iceman, he often popped up at various recognizable spots in the city during his livestreams.<\/p>\n

To reveal the Iceman release date<\/a>, he unveiled<\/a> a massive ice block structure in the Bond Hotel parking lot, where the date was hidden inside. The stunt prompted many fans to flock to the ice sculpture to catch a glimpse and made global headlines. It came days after an explosion was seen around North York, which Toronto police claimed was tied to Drake\u2019s album promotion.<\/p>\n

It was true: Iceman track \u201cShabang<\/a>\u201d showed a fairly similar eruption during its three-minute runtime.<\/p>\n

A Fur Coat Covered in Canadian Brands<\/p>\n

Did we mention that Drake is Canada\u2019s No. 1 fan? For the Qendresa-featuring \u201cSlap This City<\/a>\u201d \u2014 a track from Habibti \u2014 the Toronto rap star stood on an undisclosed ice rink, wearing a lush fur coat adorned with patches from multiple nostalgic Canadian businesses, including Sleep Country, Canadian Tire, Molson Canadian, Manchu Wok, the Chinese fast food chain and even Royal Bank of Canada (RBC).<\/p>\n

This story was originally published by Billboard Canada<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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