Sarjoun Faour Photography/WireImage
For three years running, Drake has hosted the biggest hip-hop event in Toronto (and almost anywhere else, too). His OVO Fest, named after his hometown pre-fame October's Very Own clique, began in 2010 as a way to stake his claim in the hip-hop scene. He did this by not just headlining his own festival, but bringing out the biggest special guests anyone could bring out -- Jay-Z and Eminem. This was his way of saying rap's ruling kings had welcomed him into the royal court.
The following year he had less to prove, but more to say with his special guests -- his boss, fresh-from-prison Lil Wayne, appeared as a symbol of loyalty while Stevie Wonder was a way for the rapper-singer to show his concept of music extended back further than the Boogie Down Bronx.
So how could he top that in 2012? Well, he couldn't. And by taking up the top spot himself and focusing on showing love for his hometown, maybe he didn't have to.
"The premise of OVO Fest is you never know who you gonna see," he told MTV recently, and everyone at yesterday's sold out show knew there'd be more than just the advertised The Weeknd, A$AP Rocky and 2 Chainz on the bill. But who? Bringing out Snoop Dogg seemed unlikely. Snoop is indeed a huge star, but he'd also just played a small club show in Toronto two days previous under his new Snoop Lion guise before heading to Montreal for a headlining Osheaga set. You'd figure that would've been a lot of Snoop for Canada in a three-day span. Rick Ross, meanwhile, just released an album and his appearance would seem like a too-easy Maybach marketing play. But there they were, as well as compulsive
