Drake Talks Recent Onstage Collapse: ‘I Forgot I Was Injured’

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‘I was just so full of adrenaline,’ MC says of Philadelphia performance where he re-injured his knee.
By Jayson Rodriguez, with reporting by Sway Calloway

Drake

Photo: MTV News

Drake’s buzz was so big that not even some blown knee ligaments could stop him. He first injured his knee days before the BET Awards in June while shooting hoops, but the young rapper not only performed at the show, he also decided a month later to honor his commitment as a part of Young Money Presents: The America’s Most Wanted Music Festival, featuring Lil Wayne, Young Jeezy and Soulja Boy.

But not even five dates in — despite a reduced set list — Drake hurt himself again at the Philadelphia stop.

While performing his breakout hit, “Best I Ever Had,” an enthusiastic Drake put a scare into the entire crowd when he suddenly collapsed as he ran across stage. His injured knee — a torn ACL, MCL and LCL — gave out on him yet again. He was writhing in pain and carried offstage.

Recalling the fall now, Drake described it as “borderline more painful than the initial tear.”

He explained that it was the adrenaline rush from the crowd that led him to get carried away. In spite of his movements not feeling right, he still ran across stage, caught up in what was going on around him.

“What the footage doesn’t show is that I actually came out of the sky that night,” he told MTV News. “I was 20 feet in the air on a little platform. Philadelphia was the only sold-out show on the tour — 25,000 people. And before they see me, I see them for about five seconds. I was staring out into the crowd and I literally … when I landed on that platform, I blacked out and really forgot I was injured. I was just so full of adrenaline, so happy to be there, it kind of set in for me. I remember on the I Am Music tour, the reaction was great. But these were my songs. These are songs people know and love and we really made this happen in a short time. I was just enjoying myself. I had the mic and I was really going. And when ‘Best I Ever Had’ came on, I felt like dancing. It was a great moment. I wanted to run across stage, I wanted to jump into the crowd.”

Before he could even make it near the crowd, though, his knee buckled.

Once the footage of his spill hit the Internet, Drake said his peers began sending him messages asking him stay off his leg. He got text messages from NBA stars LeBron James and Chris Paul, and Jamie Foxx spoke to him in person about minding his health.

He’s set to take a break soon, but the Young Money lyricist has been busy since he returned to his hometown of Toronto to recuperate. Drake just finished shooting a video for “Successful,” featuring Lil Wayne and Trey Songz. And, while he’s no longer on Young Money Presents: The America’s Most Wanted Music Festival, he had to make one last appearance before he officially left the trek. He made a cameo onstage during the Toronto stop, using a cane to move around as he performed “Successful.”

“That was the best show I ever did in my life,” he said.

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