Key Takeaways:
- Drake poured one out at the Black Sabbath Bench in Birmingham, England.
- He opened his concert with “Iron Man” and spoke to the crowd about Ozzy Osbourne’s legacy.
- The gesture highlighted a rare cultural crossover between Hip Hop and heavy metal.
Rest in peace, the Prince of Darkness. Drake was among the many fans who gathered at the Black Sabbath Bench in Birmingham, England, on Wednesday (July 23) to pay their respects to the late Ozzy Osbourne.
According to The New York Times, he honored the rock legend by pouring tequila on the ground. “I just came out to pay respects to someone who lived it to the fullest,” the rapper told the publication, reportedly describing Osbourne as a “cultural touchstone, even for people who didn’t know his music.”
Shortly after, the “What Did I Miss?” artist shared a black-and-white montage on Instagram with a simple dove emoji as the caption. The video also included an audio excerpt from Osbourne’s "Night Flight" interview from the ’80s: “The reason I do what I do is because it’s what everybody wants to do, but they ain't got the guts to.” Take a look at Drake’s tribute below.
The Toronto native continued his tribute at the final Birmingham stop of his “$ome $pecial $hows 4 EU Tour.” He walked out at Utilita Arena to Black Sabbath’s “Iron Man,” then took a moment to address the crowd. “Hey, Birmingham! Rest in peace to the legendary Ozzy Osbourne,” he said, as seen in fan footage shared online.
The European trek is set to pick back up in Manchester on Friday (July 25). From there, Drizzy and PARTYNEXTDOOR will continue through Amsterdam, Stockholm, Copenhagen, Paris and other cities before closing out the tour in September.
In February, the Canadian stars released their joint project, $ome $exy $ongs 4 U. Drake is also gearing up to release his next solo album, Iceman, which is expected to arrive soon.