DANCING WITH A MASK ON
CHAPTER 3

"NOTHING WAS THE SAME"

♫ Just Give It Time, We’ll See Who's Still Around A Decade From Now ♫

Of all the things that was going through my mind inside the HMV store, it never crossed my mind to what I was actually going to say to Drake when it was my turn in line. My friends and I spent the entire morning in line to get wristbands for Drake’s Nothing Was the Same album signing for later that evening. As fate would have it, we ended up being the last batch of people that were able to secure wristbands. We were lit. And if I’m being honest, it was an exciting time in my life. Free from the shackles of high school and all the stress that came with going to the same school and seeing the same people every day, I was finally living an independent life, studying something I actually enjoyed. I’m a firm believer in the universe always balances itself out and I finally felt the pendulum swing back my way and it felt sensational.

After we secured the wristbands, we had time to kill and since we all woke up super early for the line, we decided to crash at our friend’s place until we had to return to HMV in the evening. When we all woke up, we were all in that sort of hazy daze after a nap where you completely forget where you are and what you’re doing. I then looked at the table beside me and I saw the multiple Nothing Was the Same cd’s we all bought and then it hit me, I was actually going to meet Drake.

When we arrived back in the evening and got in the line, I noticed OVO members walking around the line and it was starting to hit me how surreal this was going to be. There’s something to be said about seeing people you only see online or on TV that when you finally see them in real life, it’s almost indescribable. The only thing that I can think about that makes me understand it all, is that I read that the reason why people who have seen UFO’s, tend to not actually grab out their phones to record the moment is because it’s so insane that people freeze in the moment and once the moment ends, it’s too late.

Now, after a few hours in line, we finally made our way inside the store and the album was blaring from the speakers and as I looked up the steps of the stairs, I could see Drake and I could see him signing albums. As my friends and I got closer to the steps, my heart started beating a whole lot faster. What was I going to say?

I knew it was only going to be a brief moment, a photo and the album being signed, so I knew it was going to be fast but I kept telling myself, just don’t freeze. Do anything you want, just don’t freeze. Interestingly enough, I noticed in the corner of my eye, another OVO person, but this wasn’t an OVO member and in 2013, he wasn’t all the way famous yet, but I was really excited and I saw him taking photos with fans who noticed him.

Being the type of person to take chances, I decided to ask for a photo as well. A few months prior, he became the first artist signed to OVO and released his self- titled album, in the years that would follow, I’d eventually see him live in concert. The artist I’m talking about of course is PARTYNEXTDOOR.

After my friend and I got a photo with him, I knew Drake was next up and because we were completely up-stairs now, Drake was sitting right in-front of us. At this time, with Drake with OVO and The Weeknd with XO, for the first time in our musical history, Toronto was starting to finally have an identity. OVO and XO weren’t just record labels, these were our bat signals to the world. And I say our, like how when you’re a fan of a team, you tend to say We, and I say that because Drake and The Weeknd made being from Toronto the coolest thing in the world.

Being from Toronto at that time and still to this day is a badge of honor and only people from Toronto can truly understand that. But, if you ever felt like someone or something made you feel special, you know what I’m talking about. And not only was this the feeling in the city, but because I was finally out of high school and because I was downtown living my life, overall, they’re was just this special aura in the air.

And after taking the photo with PARTYNEXTDOOR, which is one of the funniest stories ever. During the time I was inside HMV, I was wearing an XO hat, as my friends and I are getting ready for our photo, PARTYNEXTDOOR's manager tells me, I have to put my hat the other way for the photo. I of course, obliged and we got the photo.

And after both of my friends took their photo with Drake and got their album signed, it was my turn to meet the person who would end up in the years that followed becoming one of the biggest artists in the world and made sure the whole world knew he came from Toronto. But sometimes, I wonder, when I look back at the photo, of how iconic it would have been if I was able to show off the XO logo.

The beef that existed between PARTYNEXTDOOR and XO would eventually be squashed, but that moment was definitely the first time I had seen music politics in our city, that over the years in other situations have resulted in deaths, and artists losing their lives way too soon. But I wouldn't see any more of what I saw inside HMV until years later, of course, unfortunately.

And just like when people see UFOS, I froze in the moment and said the first thing that popped inside my head when he introduced himself. The night before the event, Drake posted on his Instagram and captioned it “FIFA GOD,” so as he introduced himself, I called him that and he started laughing. I then told him my name and he called his boy’s name and said my name sounds like his name and started laughing again. Jamil is pretty close to Jibril.

As, I handed him the CD, he signed the album and a photographer took our photo. After that I finally unfroze and told him how much of an inspiration he was and that Toronto was becoming cool because of him, he told me from the bottom of his heart, he appreciates that and with that, I walked down the steps and met up with my friends outside.

As they were walking a bit ahead of me, and still being on the high of meeting Drake, all I kept telling myself is that anything is possible. I kept repeating it to myself, man, anything is possible. And with that, my friends and I went back to our friend’s crib celebrating the day we had. 10 months later, Drake would say, “My next album is called Views from the 6ix," and I’d take that name, turn it into a blog called Kidfromthe6ix and start my own journey, but I’m skipping ahead, we’re not there yet.

TLDR: Coming out with my debut book in May, and getting drake to sign my Nothing Was The Same Album when I was 18 inspired me to start my blog and career 10 months later!! Also PARTYNEXTDOOR manager at the time told me to turn my hat the other way since I was wearing an XO hat so I can get a photo with him

Link to my whole portfolio: creativehouse.pixpa.com/chapter-3-nothing-was-the-same

Looking forward to thoughts!! and if any of y'all met Drake too!!